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The initiative of the Ministry to conduct this study was supported by
UNICEF and Save the Children. A Delhi based NGO, Prayas was contracted
to design and conduct the research and submit a preliminary report. After the submission of the preliminary report, the MWCD appointed a
Core Committee to review the complete data, analyze the findings and
produce the final report along with recommendations…
The study has provided revealing statistics on the extent and magnitude
of various forms of child abuse- an area by and large unexplored. The
study has also thrown up data on variations among different age groups,
gender variations, state variations and variations within evidence groups. The findings will help to strengthen the understanding of all
stakeholders including families, communities, civil society organizations and the state.
Major Findings
1. Across different forms of abuse, and across different evidence groups, the younger children (5-12 years of age) have reported higher
levels of abuse than the other two age groups
2. Boys, as compared to girls, are equally at risk of abuse
3. Persons in trust and authority are major abusers
4. 70% of abused child respondents never reported the matter to anyone
Physical Abuse
1. Two out of every three children are physically abused
2. Out of 69% children physically abused in 13 sample states, 54.68%
were boys
3. Over 50% children in all the 13 sample states were being subjected to
one or the other form of physical abuse
4. Out of those children physically abused in family situations, 88.6%
were physically abused by parents
5. 65% of school going children reported facing corporal punishment i.e.two out of three children were victims of corporal punishment
6. The State of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and Delhi have almost consistently reported higher rates of abuse in all forms as compared to
other states
7. Most children did not report the matter to anyone
8. 50.2% children worked seven days a week
Sexual Abuse
1. 53.22% children reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse.
2. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and Delhi reported the highest percentage of sexual abuse among both boys and girls.
3. 21.90% child respondents reported facing severe forms of sexual abuse
and 50.76% other forms of sexual abuse.
4. Out of the child respondents, 5.69% reported being sexually assaulted.
5. Children in Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi reported the highest incidence of sexual assault.
6. Children on street, children at work and children in institutional
care reported the highest incidence of sexual assault.
7. 50% abuses are persons known to the child or in a position of trust
and responsibility.
8. Most children did not report the matter to anyone
Emotional Abuse and Girl Child Neglect
1. Every second child reported facing emotional abuse
2. Equal percentage of both girls and boys reported facing emotional abuse
3. In 83% of the cases parents were the abusers
4. 48.4% of girls wished they were boys
The gravity of the situation demands that the issue of child abuse be
placed on the national agenda. The Ministry on its part has taken measures such as the enabling legislation to establish the National and
State Commissions for Protection of Rights of the Child, the Integrated
Child Protection Scheme, the draft Offences against Children Bill etc.
These are a few important steps to ensure protection of children of the
country. But clearly, this will not be enough, the government, civil
society and communities need to complement each other and work towards
creating a protective environment for children. The momentum gained needs to enhance further discussion on the issue amongst all
stakeholders and be translated into a movement to ensure protection of children of this country.
The report can be accessed from the Ministry’s website
http://www.wcd.nic.in/childabuse.pdf
Source:-Dr. Loveleen Kacker, Joint Secretary (Child Welfare),Ministry of Women and Child Development
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