Mark W. Lusk

Street children of Rio de Janeiro

Worldwide the number of street children is growing rapidly as the economies of most developing nations have slowed. Visible in nearly all of the larger cities of the developing world, they are also increasingly attracting the attention of the press, governments and international agencies. As awareness of the issue has bloomed, so have the many misconceptions about who these children are and what they represent. While street children are certainly not a new phenomenon, the number of children who perambulate in the world’s urban centres is visibly on the rise. This paper is an exploration of the problem in one city which has had a long experience with street children and the urban problems which are tied to their displacement : Rio de Janeiro.

Children in the Streets: Latin America's Lost Generation.

This study presents an overview of the situation of street children and youth in urban Latin America. Findings from numerous studies throughout the region, including original studies by the authors, are synthesized. The authors suggest that economic factors underlie the marginalization of vast numbers of Latin American children. The result is the exclusion of many of the region’s children from meaningful participation in society and its institutions. The presence of vast numbers of children in the streets in unsupervised and unprotected situations reflects an unprecedented social problem of profound deprivation and inequality. The use of the streets as a dwelling or as a work place denotes a state of acute misery for millions of children and youth worldwide. The phenomenon, although hardly unknown to the industrial economies, is predominantly found in the Third World and is most evident in Latin America where the number of street children runs into the millions (Hoge, 1983; Larmer, 1988; Lusk, 1992). Given its scope and gravity, the problem of street children is complex and difficult to analyze or resolve. Nonetheless, we are now at a time when considerable background research has been conducted on the problem and the opportunity for creative solutions is imminent. This paper reflects a brief synthesis of the research on street children and seeks to provide the foundation for the next generation of policy aimed at resolving this global issue. During the past decade, social science research on street children has accelerated, particularly in Latin America where street kids have been evi

Street children of Juarez: a field study

million street children worldwide; 25 million of them are found on the streets of Latin America (Tacon, 1982; UNICEF, 1981 ). Within the Latin American region perhaps Brazil and Columbia have been most affected by the problem, yet at least 1.5 million street children live and work in Mexico where the problem is growing rapidly (UNICEF, 1985). In Mexico City, for example, there are about 650,000 children who work with no legal protection, 200,000 of whom work on the

The challenge of human trafficking and contemporary slavery

The social professions are increasingly becoming aware of the growth of a “new slavery” in which millions of people, including children, are held in debt bondage or other enslavement. Modern slavery has emerged over the past three decades, facilitated by the globalization of industry and the development of sex tourism. This paper summarizes contemporary global slavery and trafficking, identifies risk factors, and presents what can be done to prevent and eradicate it.

A Consumer's View of Correctional Policy Inmate Attitudes Regarding Determinate Sentencing

Several states have recently considered the adoption of determinate sentencing policies that would eliminate or reduce the discretion of parole authorities in deciding when to release inmates on parole status. Surveys in two correctional institutions show that inmates strongly prefer determinate sentencing over the more commonly used indeterminate sentencing policies. The same inmates also indicated that they would have participated in rehabilitative programs while incarcerated without the possibility of early release through parole being contingent on such participation.

Social Justice in the US-Mexico Border Region

This chapter introduces the book and its conceptual framework. The US-Mexico border region is defined as a geographic, economic, cultural, and social region that is affected by systematic social and economic injustice that has resulted in the social and economic problems that are evident throughout the region, including poverty, health inequities, and low-wage assembly, service, and agricultural employment. The endemic poverty coexists with institutional racism and gender violence. The region, while populated by resilient families and communities that have long confronted governmental neglect and social isolation, is at the periphery of the American economy. A brief summary of the history of the US-Mexico border region is included. The border region is distinct in its Mexican-American majority population, its location on a semi-porous border through which people and commodities flow under the close scrutiny of a huge law enforcement presence that further marginalizes residents on each side of the border. This chapter describes the social construction of events on the border as a “moral panic” in which immigrants are caricatured and the drug war is seen in apocalyptic terms.

Philosophical Changes in Latin American Social Work

OCIAL work policy and practice are based upon assumptions and beliefs which give form and direction to the profession. The nature of these assumption and beliefs varies considerably across cultures and national borders. Recent changes in the philosophical foundations of Latin American social work have given the profession in Latin America a new direction and focus, and represent a fundamental challenge to social work in the industrial world.

Teaching Clinical Social Work in Spanish: Cultural Competency in Mental Health

We have developed a new graduate elective in the MSW degree program called Evaluación e Intervención en Español (Assessment and Intervention in Spanish). This class, taught entirely in Spanish, is designed to train Spanish-speaking MSW students in culturally and linguistically competent clinical practice with Hispanic clients. In this case study, we summarize the course.

Secondary Trauma Among Caregivers Who Work With Mexican and Central American Refugees

Thousands of refugees have fled Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador to escape violence, criminal victimization, and persecution as a result of the breakdown of public safety that has accompanied the rise of organized crime and drug-related violence. Many of these migrants have experienced torture, rape, abduction, forced labor, arson, and kidnapping. Caregivers and professionals who work with these refugees, including social workers, volunteers, attorneys, and advocates, have repeatedly witnessed severe trauma among refugees as the migrants recount horrific stories about their journeys. We conducted in-depth interviews with 31 individuals who have worked extensively and repeatedly with traumatized refugees. Participants completed the Secondary Traumatic Scale (STSS) and the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL)-Compassion Fatigue (CF) scale. While most participants reported signs and symptoms of secondary traumatic stress, many also demonstrated high levels of compassion satisfaction. In addition, most were involved in self-care. Hispanic participants reported that elements of their culture were protective.

International social development and counter-development

International development theory and practice tend to emphasize the importance of optimizing development inputs such as capital, infrastructure, and expertise. Equally important in the success of development is the mitigation of counter-development forces such as corruption, rent-seeking, terrorism and organized crime. This article presents a development model that incorporates those forces that impede development.