Study on street children stress and coping style between 09 and 17 years in Mali

Abstract

This article is taken from our research thesis conducted in 2016 at the Beijing Forestry University (China). The study explores the experiences of street children who are exposed to multiple stressors from an early age in two communes of Bamako, Mali. These children face daily challenges such as hunger, humiliation, violence, and illness, which compel them to develop various coping strategies for survival.

The research was conducted in two communes Commune II and Commune V where the majority of the street children are found. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a sample of 120 children (60 from each commune), aged between 8 and 17 years.

Findings reveal that children from both communes face similar types of difficulties, including hunger, illness, abuse, and social rejection. However, differences were observed in the coping strategies they employed. Children in Commune II used a wider range of coping strategies.