Using Public Space to Escape Violence and Social Exclusion in São Paulo, Brazil

After years of state neglect, lack of essential public services and a heavy presence of organized crime, communities on the outskirts of São Paulo, Brazil have become places of violence and social exclusion for many children. To escape these conditions, children often leave home and spend periods of time occupying public spaces in the city center, including sidewalks, squares, alleyways and parks. In doing so, they encounter public hostility, police violence and strategies pursued by local government to “clean up” public space. Drawing from ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews with male and female children between 12 and 17 years old and with key actors, such as social workers and street educators, this chapter presents the children’s perspectives and experiences. The chapter demonstrates how these children manage both to survive in a hostile environment by forming groups and cooperating among themselves to locate key resources such as protection, food and income and to have social experiences and fun.