Effective Factors on the Tendency of Street-Working Children to Substance Retail Sales: A Case Study of Ilam and Kermanshah Provinces

The present research aimed to investigate the effective factors on the tendency of street-working children to substance retail sales in the western provinces of the country (Ilam and Kermanshah).

The method of this research was qualitative and of thematic analysis type. The statistical population of the present research consisted of scientific and executive experts and specialists from Faraja, the judiciary and welfare, experts in the field of social harm and drugs, and street-working children and their families. Among them, 30 people were selected using the purposeful sampling method. In-depth and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The data were analyzed in three stages of open, axial, and selective coding.

The results showed that the effective factors included two main dimensions of direct and contextual factors and 4 components of psychological, family, social, and economic factors. The re-examination of the findings from two focus groups consisting of some active participants led to the identification of 4 process patterns, including the poor immigrant family, the family with a work culture, the family with irresponsible parents, and the beggar family.

The research results show that this issue is a multi-dimensional abnormal social phenomenon, and considering its nature, its control requires the interaction and cooperation of various institutions, which should be controlled and managed with necessary coordination and focusing on cultural and social responses.