his last battle; he was warned never 
to return. “So I left. What else. . . .” 
Countless thousands of children re- 
main at home to endure hardships and 
abuses that children like Jorge refuse 
to tolerate. The child who strikes out 
to shape another kind of life for him- 
self often leaves behind numerous 
brothers and sisters who do not. A 
mother may describe such a child as 
the one who “would never listen,” who 
“always asked too many questions,” 
who “would never do as he was told.” 
In short, he is the troublemaker, a 
child with a difficult temperament in 
an intolerable environment. Possibly, 
he is a family scapegoat, who is con- 
stantly being given the message to 
move on. We tend to regard the aban- 
doning, or runaway, child as troubled, 
even emotionally disturbed. In the 
case of these particular children, how- 
ever, leaving home may be a positive, 
adaptive move toward physical and 
psychological health. 
Girls rarely fall into this category, 
perhaps because they are more needed 
within the family. They are expected 
to care for younger siblings and per- 
form household chores, whereas a 
more aggressive, independent role is 
prescribed for young boys. Moreover, 
in many family situations, the coming 
and going of padrastos (“stepfathers”) 
places different pressures on the boys: 
there may be competition over the 
mother and conflict over power or re- 
sponsibility within the home. 
The three types of street children 
actually overlap, since the plight of 
an individual child may undergo 
change or may reflect a combination 
of factors. And all types of children 
interact with one another. Survival in 
the streets is tied to peer support. Bo- 
gota is especially noted for its galladas 
(literally, “roosts”), which offer their 
members some protection against the 
ever present threat of crime and abuse. 
In these groups, which often consist 
of eight to fifteen children, there is 
a clear leadership hierarchy, and 
membership, loyalty, and territory are 
constant issues. Outsiders often regard 
galladas as gangs of young thieves. 
There are, indeed, deeply wounded 
street children capable of great cru- 
elty and outright criminal behavior. 
But it is important to realize that street 
children band together primarily to 
meet emotional and physical needs. 
The highly structured gallada is al- 
most absent in Cali, but the camada 
44 
