Violence Against Children on the Streets in Sub–Saharan Africa: An Overview

There is a paucity of academic studies on violence against street children in the sub–Saharan African cities of Harare, Lusaka, Nairobi, and Johannesburg among others. This chapter is based on a literature review. It outlines the social and economic factors that render street children vulnerable to abuse. Research findings suggest that many street children in African cities face a lot of child abuse, violation, and exploitation. The abuse or violation and exploitation manifest in different forms such as sexual, physical, and psychological among others. The chapter concludes by lobbying and advocating for the full implementation of child rights laws, policies, and programmes so as to reduce the vulnerabilities of these children. National child rights laws, policies and programmes should be aligned with regional and international ones.