'She does not make me do it, but I want to help her': Relational family interdependence of street-connected youth in Recife, Brazil

Despite most street-connected youth in Brazil having existing bonds with their families, their family relations have not received enough attention in research. This article explores how street-connected youth describe their family relations and what meanings they attach to their families. Drawing on ethnographic data collected with 10 street-connected youths aged between 12 and 17 in Recife, Brazil, the results demonstrate that the relational family life of street-connected youth consists of interconnected supportive and ambivalent emotional and material interdependence, and this should not be ignored in policy and practice regarding them.

Automated summary

This article examines how street-connected youth in Brazil describe and attach meaning to their family relations. The results show that these relationships consist of both supportive and ambivalent emotional and material interdependence, highlighting the importance of considering family dynamics in policies and practices.