This paper presents a unique Literature Review of international research studies about street children published during the decade from 2000 to 2010. Studies have been collected and mapped into 12 thematic sections, drawing on more than 400 papers, chapters and books published around the world in the English language. Studies consulted were primarily academic, supplemented with key texts from the development literature on street children. Gaps between and within thematic sections have been identified and analysed. The paper‘s dual purpose* is: To improve understanding of street children by identifying recent advances in an academic scholarship which began in the 1970s * To identify priority areas for academic research on street children, in order to build a stronger strategic base for the development of advocacy, policy and programme design initiatives This Review divides into 4 Parts and a total of 12 sections, which reflect the most interesting advances in the academic research over the last 10 years as follows: 1. Street Children – Old Myths and New Realities: exploring their Numbers, Definitions, Characteristics and Voices from the Streets 2. Street Children – The Wider ‘Everyday’ Picture: exploring their Relationships, Migration and Mobility, Experiences on the Streets and Ageing into Youth 3. Policies and Interventions – as designed for or experienced by street children 4. The Policy Context – exploring Laws & Enforcement, plus Economics, Budgets & Funding
