Street children are particularly vulnerable to abuses in criminal justice systems: they are more likely to come into (actual or perceived) conflict with the law, and they are less able to defend themselves from abuse once within the system. Consortium for Street Children (CSC) undertook a two-year research and advocacy project to examine the situation of the human rights abuses of street children in juvenile justice systems in six countries: Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Romania.

Working with partners in each country, national, cross-sectoral workshops were convened involving NGOs, the police, judiciary, social and probation services and other stakeholders to identify key obstacles to the implementation of international human rights standards for street children in juvenile justice systems in each country. The workshops also examined examples of innovative good practice in this area. The resulting country reports outline recommendations for various actors at local, national and international levels. Emphasis was given to the input of street children themselves into this process.

Furthermore, the findings from the six countries, along with case studies from other countries have been compiled into a practical, international book: "An Outside Chance: Street Children and Juvenile Justice - an International Perspective". This
resource highlights factors common to all countries and includes examples of good practice from across the four continents. It includes:

- Descriptions (in the children's own words) of the treatment they receive at
different stages of the criminal justice system
- A framework of overarching concepts and recommended approaches to reform
- An introduction to international human rights standards and guidelines on how to
use them
- Practical examples of projects and approaches from around the world
- Specific recommendations for improvement, including recommendations from children
themselves, targeted at different actors in the system.

For more information, contact:
Marie Wernham, Advocacy Officer, Consortium for Street Children
Unit 306, Bon Marche Centre, 241-251 Ferndale Road, London SW9 8BJ, UK
Email: marie@streetchildren.org.uk