Report

Indian Social Problems

17BCL1138-Mohammad Azhar U Din Mir

Child Abuse

India emerged as an independent nation-state on 15 th August 1947, after a long

struggle against the British colonial yoke. The country is a Sovereign, Socialist,
Secular, Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government.
Though India has shown tremendous growth in all spheres of national life in the
years after independence, yet many problems plague the everyday social life;
the problems, many a time, are interrelated.
Poverty, Population, Pollution, Illiteracy, Corruption, Inequality, Gender
discrimination, Terrorism, Communalism, Lack of Infrastructure,
Unemployment, Regionalism, Casteism, Dowry, Alcoholism, Drugs Abuse,
Violence against Women, Child Abuse and Child Labour and Religious
Intolerance are the major ones.

According to Fuller and Mayer, a social problem starts with the awakening of
people in a given locality, with the realization of certain cherished values that
are threatened by the conditions which have become acute.

1. Introduction

Child abuse is a state of emotional, physical, economic and sexual maltreatment

meted out to a person below the age of eighteen and is a globally prevalent
phenomenon. However, in India, as in many other countries, there has been no
understanding of the extent, magnitude and trends of the problem. The growing
complexities of life and the dramatic changes brought about by socio-economic
transitions in India have played a major role in increasing the vulnerability of
children to various and newer forms of abuse. Despite hectic planning, welfare
programmes, legislation and administrative action in the past six decades, a
large majority of the Indian children continue to remain in distress and turmoil.
In most families, the parents neglect them, caretakers batter them and in work-
place employers sexually abuse them. Though this problem of emotional,
physical and sexual abuse of children in India is increasing, it has failed to
capture the attention of sociologist and psychiatrists in our country. The public
and the government also are yet to recognize it as a serious problem.

Child labor is a problem worldwide, but it particularly affects children in

developing countries. Child labor is characterized by full-time work at too early
of an age, and too many hours spent working. The work often exerts undue
physical, social, or psychological stress, hampers access to education, and may
be detrimental to social and psychological development. The ILO’s Statistical
Information and Monitoring Program on Child Labor recently estimated that
211 million children are exposed to child labour.

A child is defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 1989, as
“Every human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable
under the child majority is attained earlier. Throughout the consultation the
importance of the CRC in the area of child abuse was emphasized. While
Article 19 of the convention specifically addresses child abuse and recommends
a broad outline for its identification, reporting, investigation, treatment, follow-
up and prevention.

2. Types of Child Abuse

There are many ways in which a child may be maltreated or abused, and these
include sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect.

 Physical abuse occurs when a parent or a caregiver causes deliberate physical

injury to a child
 When a child is exploited for a sexual purpose or is involved in a sexual act,
sexual abuse occurs
 If a child’s social and mental development is compromised by a parent, it is
called emotional abuse.
 Neglect of a child occurs when the parent or caregiver does not carry out
necessary care and support activities necessary for a child.
 Child labour.

3. Causes of Child Abuse

Abuse of children can occur in several circumstances. Here are some scenarios
where a child may be victimized:
  Domestic Violence

Children who are part of households where there is frequent domestic

violence are prone to becoming victims of abuse themselves. Men who abuse
their female partners are responsible for abusing the children in their homes
too.

 Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Parents who have a history of alcohol and drug abuse can be responsible for
child abuse. Dependence of substance abuse is one of the major causes of
child abuse and maltreatment which includes physical abuse and intentional
neglect. Alcohol or drug-abusing parent is more likely to initiate child abuse
with kids of five years or below.

 Untreated Mental Illness

A parent’s untreated mental illness is a common cause of child abuse. Manic

depression or any other illness of the mind can become a prime cause for the
parents to be unavailable for the child. A mother may remain withdrawn
from her kids or in extreme cases suspect that the child plotting against her.
A parent’s suffering is often the cause of subjecting a child to abuse.

 Lack of Parenting Skills

Most parents are naturally gifted while caring for their children, but few may
not be able to manage their physical and emotional needs adequately. Many
parents would often equate disciplining children with abusing them and will
need counseling to understand the role of a parent in a better manner.

 Stress and Lack of Support

Many children face psychological mistreatment when their caregivers or

parents are under stress. Parents find it difficult to deal with the emotional
needs of a child especially when they face stressful situations. Divorces,
relationship issues, financial worries and job-related problems can lead to
parents meting out abuse to their children.

4. Consequences of Child Abuse

The consequences of maltreatment can be devastating. For over 30 years, clinicians have described
the effects of child abuse and neglect on the physical, psychological, cognitive, and behavioral
development of children. Physical consequences range from minor injuries to severe brain damage
and even death. Psychological consequences range from chronic low self-esteem to severe
dissociative states. The cognitive effects of abuse range from attentional problems and learning
disorders to severe organic brain syndromes. Behaviorally, the consequences of abuse range from
poor peer relations all the way to extraordinarily violent behaviors. Thus, the consequences of abuse
and neglect affect the victims themselves and the society in which they live.

All of these consequences will be discussed in Assignment 2 and 3 in detail.

5. Movies Watched
 Capernaum is the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film
Festival, Nadine Labaki's CAPERNAUM ("Chaos") tells the story of
Zain (Zain al Rafeea), a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the
"crime" of giving him life. CAPERNAUM follows Zain, a gutsy
streetwise child as he flees his negligent parents, survives through his
wits on the streets.
 Family Affair is a documentary film directed by Chico Colvard,
exploring a history of abuse that had gone on inside his family, as a
child.

6. Survey By Nigerian Police

7. Impact of Child Sexual Abuse
8. Survey of a Rehabilitation center in Nigeria called Mirabel Center
9. Recommendations
 Recognize the Signs : The first step in helping to prevent domestic violence is
to recognize the signs. To be sure, it may be difficult to recognize when a
child is being abused, as the signs are not always visible to the eye. Indeed,
domestic violence is not always physical. Other forms of domestic abuse
include verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and economic abuse. Along with this,
it is likely that the children suffering will not speak up on their behalf, as so
many children suffer in silence
 Provide Resources : Whether it is providing support classes for
parents, teaching them child care and parenting strategies, or
helping with economic support and stability during times of
difficulty, struggling parents and families need help and support.
Violence against children can be reduced when parents and
families are equipped with strategies, support, and skills when
caring for children.
 Support Children: Often times, children are great imitators. They
frequently model what they learn and experience from the adults in
their lives. Time and time again, a child’s greatest role model is
often the parent. For those children who have watched a parent
inflict violence and abuse upon another, these children are more apt
to repeat this later on in their adult life with their spouses or
partners. Drugs and alcohol abuse later in their lives is also likely
path. In order to break this future cycle of abuse, we need to offer
therapy, counseling, support, and services to these children.
 Raise Awareness: Knowledge is power, and awareness brings
advocacy. Educate those around you about the realities of domestic
abuse and violence. Whether it is where you work, where you
exercise, where you practice your faith, or where your own circle
of friends and family are, inform and educate them about this issue.
When those around you become aware of the realities of domestic
violence among children, they become advocates, as well.
 Organize your Community: Faith based organizations, civic
groups, schools, community leaders, and local and state legislatures
can all come together to both fight child abuse. Contact these
organizations and individuals and organize meetings with them, as
well as with your local law enforcement. Create a child abuse
prevention team in your area, and in your city.
 Be an Advocate: Perhaps the biggest impact one can make in
preventing child abuse and domestic violence is to become an
advocate of change. By contacting lawmakers, politicians, and
publicity agents through means of emails, letters, phone calls, and
other means of communication, one can bring attention to the
needs of these children who are various forms of abuse. Along with
this, these advocates of change can also post information in
editorial letters, websites, public forums, and so forth. By lobbying
for change, new laws can be introduced, and information can be
brought forward to the general public.
 Document: If you suspect child abuse or domestic violence is
happening to a child you know, document what you see. Time,
date, location, and information is important, if you should have to
file a report of some kind. Documentation should be done in a
factual and non biased fashion, and not in an emotional manner.
Just the facts, so to speak. Your documentation can go a long way
in helping to protect a child.
 Report :If you know of an incident of child abuse or domestic
violence, it needs to be reported, and it needs to be reported by you
now. Not tomorrow; not next week. If a child is in danger, he needs
to be rescued from it today. Call the police, call local law
enforcement, call 911
[Link]
 Blyth, M. (1990) “Child Abuse and Neglect in Developing
Countries.” [Link]
and-Neglect-in-Developing-Countries.
 “Child Abuse and Dangers for Children Worldwide.” Child
Welfare Information Gateway. [Link]
 UN General Assembly. (2019) “Rights of the child.”
A/RES/74/133 [Link]
 NPTEL
 Wikipedia
 Unite for Sight
 [Link]