For the first time, data on child abuse and neglect in India
A new report by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in India,
(supported by Save the Children and UNICEF) released today, reveals the extent and magnitude of child abuse and neglect in India. This is one of the world's largest empirical, in-country studies
covering nearly 12,500 children and 4800 young adults in 13 States. The Study looks at three different forms of child abuse - physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse and girl child
neglect in families, schools, work places, on the street and institutions. The Study complements the UN Secretary General's Study on Violence against Children, 2006. The Study aims to
develop a comprehensive understanding of child abuse, which will help formulate appropriate policies and programmes meant to effectively end child abuse in India. Major findings of the
Study:
Boys, as compared to girls, are equally at risk of abuse.
Persons in trust and authority are major abusers.
5-12 year old children are in the high risk
category: across the forms of abuse, the percentage of abuse among them is the highest.
70% of the children have not reported abuse to anyone.
Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and
Delhi almost consistently report high rates of abuse in all forms as compared to other States.
2 out of every 3 children have been physically abused.
Two out of every three school
going children are victims of corporal punishment. Half of these incidents are in government run schools.
More than half of the child respondents reported facing one or more forms of sexual
abuse.
Every second child reported facing emotional abuse. In more than 80% of the cases parents were the abusers.
At the inauguration of the Study, Renuka Choudhary, Minister
of State, Ministry of Women and Child Development, said "This is a landmark study that paves the way for new initiatives for protection of children in India." The Ministry on its part has
taken measures such as enabling legislation to establish the National and State Commissions for Protection of Rights of the Child, the Integrated Child Protection Scheme and the draft Offences against
Children Bill. Shireen Miller, Head of Policy, Save the Children UK, India highlights "Family is the place where children should be the safest and yet this is the context in which much
of the abuse takes place. The Study reveals an urgent need for both stronger legislation to protect children and parenting education in India."Save the Children UK calls for
stronger legislation to deal with Child Abuse and for the establishment of a separate and coherent National Child Protection Policy.- ENDS -
The Study was commissioned by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, supported by Save the Children and UNICEF and researched by Prayas, a Delhi based NGO.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
