Perpetrators or Protectors of Children Against Violence: Police Officers in Uganda and Their Encounters with Children in Street Situations

Abstract

Using a mixed methods design, data from Uganda’s capital city and 21 other major towns, we examine the experience of children in street situations and their encounters with police officers. This happens when these children are in conflict with the law or when the police treat them as an eyesore in the community. Whereas the police aim at enforcing the law, sometimes they orchestrate violence against the children instead of protecting them. The article challenges law enforcement agencies and other duty bearers to find creative approaches to dealing with children and ensure their protection while at the same time enforcing the requisite national security laws.