This paper studies socio-economic factors affecting begging phenomenon in the city of Mashhad. So, sociological and social policy approaches are used to clarify theoretical and conceptual dimensions of panhandling. Also, qualitative method and related techniques such as in deep and unstructured interviews and observation (of ways of begging) are used to collect the research data and information.  The study is based on the argument that the phenomenon of panhandling is concerned with two groups of factors including indirect (environmental enabling) and direct (individual) ones. The research findings indicate that such factors as the very identity of the city of Mashhad from the point of view of religiosity and immigration as well as features of the very beggars such as having an unfavorable physical state, the low level of education, family unfavorable situation, lack of basic capabilities, poverty and unemployment were determinant factors that intensified each other and led to the emergence of inability state and to the acceptance of begging role. The latter is also enforced and sustained through a socio and psycho humiliating process. On the contrary of the prevailing perspective that blames beggars in moral degradation and lack of laziness, the paper concludes that poverty and insolvency and related variables play higher roles in this process.

Street labor children have been a new emerging phenomenon as well as a main concern about modern society. Due to the vulnerability of these children, and inability of governments to tackle their mounting problems, an increasing involvement of NGOs in helping these children have recently emerged. Having believed that the best way to deal with the issue of street children is to empower them so that they can live normally, this paper aims to study the role of NGOs in the empowerment of street labor children in Tehran through using a field research method. For this purpose, three dimensions of empowerment, including education, living skills and health were chosen for the study. It was assumed that NGOs initiatives affect the difficult states of the children positively through following both NGOs initiatives and the children socio-economic background. Findings indicated that most of the respondents believed that NGOs activities have had considerable effect on changing wretched conditions of the children. Moreover, the analysis of the data showed that NGOs initiatives are significantly associated with the empowerment of the children. The paper concludes that to enhance the state of the children, the active involvement of NGOs is necessary. Otherwise, they are rarely able to develop themselves, though this involvement should be based on a comprehensive approach. That is, any successful policy or initiative not only should focus on the street children as a very target group, but also on family as a major basis for the children misery and delinquency.