Externalising and Internalising Behaviour among Institutionalised Street Children

Street children are at multiple risk factors such as poverty, broken homes, neglect, physical & sexual abuse, discontinued relationship and genetic factors which have an impact on the mental health. Several studies have found out that children living on street are at higher risk of developing externalising and internalising behaviour.

The current study was conducted to explore the externalising and internalising behaviour among street institutionalised children.

Developmental Psychopathology Checklist (Kapur et al., 1995. Nimhans Journal, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 9) and standardised clinical examination (according to the diagnostic criteria of Diagnostic & Statistical Manual IV-Text Revised) were used for the 419 participants for the assessment of externalising and internalising behaviour.

The results indicate that overall prevalence of externalising and internalising behaviour was 35.3%, in which externalising behaviour was 47.3%, internalising behaviour was 52.7%, respectively.

It can be concluded that externalising and internalising behaviour are highly prevalent among street children in institutionalised care. However, there is a need to provide mental health services for such children.