Investigating the status of the street children: challenges and opportunities

The phenomenon of street children, a social problem causing vulnerability, has a long history in the world and recently it has increased in the author's country due to various factors. Thus the article deals with street children in Hamadan, Iran. Following Delfi's, the instruments used to collect the data have been a researcher-made questionnaire, interviewing the children and their families, and consulting the authorities. The questions posed down in this study are 1) who are street children? 2) why is it necessary to pay attention to these children? 3. What factors are involved in creating the phenomenon? 4) What steps have been taken by public, private, and international organizations to solve this problem? What guidelines are effective in reducing the phenomenon? (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.