Vivencias del Hambre en Adolescentes en Situación de Pobreza en el Área Metropolitana de Caracas, Venezuela

This qualitative study, from a phenomenological-hermeneutic perspective, explored the lived experiences of hunger among 20 adolescents (aged 11-18) from vulnerable neighborhoods in the Caracas Metropolitan Area, Venezuela. Through in-depth interviews, the study investigated how they experience hunger, its meanings, and its emotional, psychological, and social impact within a context of institutional invisibilization. The findings reveal that hunger transcends physical deprivation, experienced as an existential pain and an annihilation of being, expressed as “nothingness” or “deprivation of world”, stemming from economic precarity, parental unemployment, and deficiencies in state aid. Adolescents express deep empathy towards their parents, which mitigates their perception of the situation as a violation of rights and contributes to a shared resignation. The identified coping strategies range from passivity (sleeping, isolating oneself), associated with sadness and hopelessness, to high-risk actions (roaming the streets, stealing), exposing them to violent situations. Gender differences emerge: domestic strategies are predominant among girls, while boys predominantly engage in active searching in public spaces. The quality of family and neighborhood relationships modulates the strategies employed and the level of food insecurity experienced. These results highlight the profound impact of hunger on adolescent identity and well-being, underscoring the urgency of making this population visible, designing sensitive policies, and ensuring spaces for support and the full recognition of their rights.