Chiang Mai is a cultural and economic hub in Southeast Asia, being Thailand’s second-largest city, and a hot spot of tourism and economic migration. Within the context of informal migration to the city, including migration due to forced movement, Chiang Mai hosts a complicated socio-economic environment, which includes the significant presence of children in street situations. These children find themselves at a confluence of vulnerability factors, including issues of legality, substance abuse, prejudice, and sexual exploitation. Structured interviews conducted by trained social workers from Urban Light, a local NGO specializing in working with vulnerable youth, were used to answer the leading research question: What are the vulnerabilities and potential resilience factors of street-involved youth in Chiang Mai, Thailand? Fifty-four (54) participants from 11 to 24 years old were interviewed, identifying as male, female, and transgender. This study employed a multidimensional vulnerability framework to examine the experiences of this population, understanding sexual violence as a key dimension of vulnerability for children in street situations. Findings indicate that 29% of males and 9% of females reported coercive sex. Males and transgender youth demonstrated particularly high susceptibility to sexual exploitation. The higher reporting of sexual violence among male-identifying participants in this study highlights the need for gender-inclusive interventions and research into specific vulnerabilities of street-involved youth across all gender identities in Chiang Mai and across a global context. This presentation concludes with recommendations for further study into the specific vulnerabilities of street-involved youth across multiple gender identities, along with policy targeting gender-inclusive interventions.
Trigger Warning: This presentation contains information (written, spoken, or visual) that may be triggering or (re)traumatizing to attendees.
Chris Ngugi is a research assistant for Andrews University, St. Louis University, and the up! Collective, with a project focus on minoritized populations. Ngugi is an advocate and director of “The Rainbow in the Room” community workshops, pursuing a career in International Humanitarian Law, focusing on transient vulnerable populations.
Alezandra Russell is a Latina activist who founded Urban Light after witnessing the exploitation of boys in Thailand. An advocate for vulnerable young males, she provides culturally-tailored support through the Urban Light Drop-in Center. Her work earned the Mother Teresa Humanitarian Award and recognition by Telemundo as an “Unstoppable Woman.”