This book deals with street children who live in the developing world, and homeless youth who are from the developed world. They are referred to as children in street situations (CSS) to show that the problem is both in the children and in the situation they face. The book examines several aspects of the children and their street situations, including the families of origin and the homes they leave, the children’s social life, and mental health. Other aspects are the problems of published demographics, the construction of public opinion about these children and the, often violent, reactions from authorities. The book then discusses current research on children in street situations, as well as programs and policies. The book ends with recommendations about programs, policies and research.

From the book reviews:

“Aptekar and Stoecklin’s book provides a comprehensive review of research on street children … . Street Children and Homeless Youth provides excellent examples of the challenges and considerations that one should address when conducting research across cultures. … this book would be a valuable resource for scholars interested in a variety of topics, including children in difficult circumstances and childhood in the majority world.” (Judith L. Gibbons and Katelyn E. Poelker, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 59 (33), August, 2014)

Lewis Aptekar received his PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Michigan. He has had post-graduate training in Clinical Psychology from Texas Tech Medical School and is a licensed as a Clinical Psychologist. He is currently Professor of Counselor Education at San Jose State University. He is past President of the Society of Cross-cultural Research.

Some of his academic awards include two Fulbright scholarships (Colombia and Swaziland), a Senior Fulbright Scholar award (Honduras), Nehru Visiting Professor, (University of Baroda, India), a Kellogg Foundation/Partners of the Americas Fellowship in International Development, a Rotarian International Ambassadorship (Zambia), and a scholarly residency at the Bellagio Rockefeller Foundation Study and Conference Center (Italy).

Daniel Stoecklin received his PhD in social sciences from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, for his thesis on street children in China. He is currently Associate Professor in sociology, at the University Institute Kurt Bösch (IUKB), in Sion, Switzerland. His areas of research and teaching are the sociology of childhood, children’s rights, street children, and participation. He is also a Scientific Collaborator, at the International Institute for the Rights of the Child. His has worked for several NGOs regarding projects in the field of children in difficult situations, and he has been an Independent Expert for the Council of Europe regarding children’s participation.