Emotional problems of street children in three major cities of Pakistan

ABSTRACT

The present study intended to identify the emotional indicators such as internalizing [i.e. guilt, anxiety, withdrawal and immaturity] and externalizing problems [i.e. impulsivity and overt aggression] among the Street Children. Exploratory study. Department of Psychology, University of Karachi. Data was collected from February 2012 to June 2012. For the purpose of the present study, Sample was comprised of 75 male children [25 from each city i.e., Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar] with mean age 8.5 years, who were being selected conveniently with the help of following different NGO 's in Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore. Human Figure Drawing [HFD] by Koppitz1 was used for interpretation. Frequencies and percentages were calculated which showed that overall street children may have high level of impulsivity [84%], overt aggression [90.67%], immaturity [86.67%], helplessness [70.67], withdrawal [62.67] inadequacy [88%] and depression [21.33%]. Whereas high level of inadequacy, impulsivity, immaturity, anxiety and guilt feelings were found in Lahore. Overt aggression, regression, immaturity, inadequacy and withdrawal were found in Peshawar. On the other hand immaturity, impulsivity, inadequacy and withdrawal were found high among the street children of Karachi. Results remained consistent with previous researches. Street children scored high on internalizing [i.e. inadequacy, depression, regression, helplessness, repression, anxiety, withdrawal and immaturity] and externalizing problems [i.e. impulsivity, paranoid and overt aggression