HERE is something that threatens to
shatter the picture of the big, happy Indian family. Children are safer
at school than at home, says a study on child abuse conducted by the
Central government's Ministry of Women and Child Welfare. Every second
child in India has faced sexual abuse, and two-thirds of children have
been physically abused, the survey estimates.
The study was conducted in 13 States and based on interviews with
12,447 children. It is a damning indictment of Indian society's cruelty
to its young and most vulnerable. One-fifth of the world's children
live in India. Forty-two per cent of India's population is under 18 -
that is 440 million people, a number greater than the population of the
United States. Despite the fact that India has signed the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the country has
dozens of child welfare schemes, a large portion of the child
population remains neglected and exploited.
Over half of the children interviewed (53 per cent) had been sexually
abused. More boys than girls were harmed. And, 21 per cent of the
children reported severe abuse. Children at home and not going to
school were more at risk than those attending school. The most affected
were children at work (61 per cent reported sexual abuse). Street
children (54 per cent) were only slightly more vulnerable than children
at home not attending school (53 per cent). More than 70 per cent of
children had not told anyone else about their abuse. Of the young
adults (aged 18 to 24) who were interviewed, 46 per cent reported that
they were sexually abused as children.
Parents and family members were the people most likely to abuse
children physically. Around 48 per cent of children said they were
physically abused by family members, while 34 per cent were beaten by
others. "Considering that the family is supposed to provide a
protective atmosphere for the child, especially during the formative
years, the high percentage is both surprising and alarming," the study
says. But severe abuse was committed mostly by outsiders. Every sixth
child faced severe thrashing by people outside the family.
Children are routinely hit at school as a form of disciplining. The
survey estimates that 65 per cent of children get beaten in schools
across the country. Boys are more vulnerable than girls in this regard.
"In States like Delhi, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal and Gujarat, which
are also sample States in the study, corporal punishment has been
banned by State governments. Yet, some of the highest percentages of
corporal punishment can be seen in these States," says the study,
authored by Loveleen Kacker, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and
Child Welfare; Srinivas Varadan and Pravesh Kumar, with assistance from
Dr. Nadeem Mohsin and Anu Dixit.
A reason for the alarming findings
could be the fact that the study has focussed on the most vulnerable
groups of children and has not taken a sample that is representative of
the total child population. Essentially, five groups of equal sample
size were interviewed for the survey - children in school, children out
of school and at home, street children, working children and children
in institutions. As it gives equal weightage to each, the survey cannot
apply the findings to the entire population. Three of these are
vulnerable groups that do not form a large proportion of the
population, which may be why the results are startling. For instance,
all over India more than 60 per cent of children are in school, but
schoolchildren constitute only 20 per cent of the survey's sample.
However, the survey has been path-breaking because until now the main
source of information on child abuse was the National Crime Records
Bureau, where only registered cases are counted. Most incidents of
child abuse are not reported to the police. Moreover, several forms of
abuse are not reflected in the crime statistics.
"We did this study because a lack of data was one of our major
constraints in pushing for greater resource allocation for child
protection schemes. There was a conspiracy of silence, and people did
not feel that child abuse was such a major problem," said Loveleen
Kacker. "The results are shocking but confirm that there is more abuse
than we tend to accept."
"It is very commendable that the government has done this survey and
acknowledged the magnitude of the problem," says Vidya Reddy, from
Tulir Centre for the Prevention & Healing of Child Sexual Abuse.
"They are also proposing the Integrated Child Protection Scheme and an
Offences Against Child Bill. If these are implemented properly, it will
be a big step towards tackling child abuse."
Child workers formed one-fifth of the children interviewed and are
among the most exploited. Of all child labourers, 56 per cent were
employed illegally or in hazardous industries - domestic work; roadside
restaurants, or dhabas; construction work, beedi-rolling; lock-making;
embroidery; and zari weaving. More than half of child workers laboured
seven days a week, without holidays. Of all working children, 23 per
cent were domestic workers, of whom 81 per cent were girls. Fourteen
per cent of the domestic child workers said they were abused by their
employers.
Street children survive in the most inhuman living conditions. The
survey found that two of three street children lived with their
parents. Only 17 per cent slept in a night shelter. Hygiene conditions
were miserable. More than 70 per cent defecated in the open, and 50 per
cent did not have access to a municipal tap to bathe. The survey found
that they were often not able to meet their basic needs for food.
The report recommends setting up a state commission for the protection
of the rights of the child and implementing `action plans' for child
protection. "We will introduce an Offences Against Children
(Prevention) Bill in Parliament. There are many things not considered
an offence under current law," said Loveleen Kacker. "We need to spend
more on child protection. Right now it is only 0.03 per cent of the
budget. The Ministry is introducing an Integrated Child Protection
Scheme soon. It is disturbing that 40 per cent of our children are at
risk."
Creating outreach services for street children and child workers and
strengthening support services under the Juvenile Justice Act are also
included in the report's recommendations. More public awareness about
child abuse is necessary to acknowledge and tackle the problem.
Children, too, have to be aware of their rights.
"This survey highlights the urgent need for sex education, not only for
pre-adolescents but even younger children. How else will children learn
to be strong and understand how to protect themselves?" asks Ingrid
Mendonca, from Terre des Hommes, a child rights organisation.
"Unfortunately, the most progressive States are moving backwards by
trying to ban sex education. It is urgently needed."
The entire system has to be made more child-friendly, says Vidya Apte
from the Forum Against Child Sexual Exploitation. "The issue is swept
under the carpet. Most doctors, psychologists, lawyers, judges and
police officials don't know how to handle such cases. It is not part of
their training," she says. "It is time to remove the taboo around this
issue. We have to help children to protect themselves. If we feel
embarrassed to talk about it, how can we advise our children?"
The government report also stresses the importance of education.
"Beyond doubt, schools, as compared to other situations, are the safest
place for children, and therefore efforts should be made to increase
the enrolment and retention of children by adopting innovative,
child-friendly methods of teaching," says the report. "Adequate
infrastructure including sanitation facilities, keeping in mind the
special needs of the girl child, will encourage enrolment and retention
of girl children in schools," it says. "Schools must have proper
facilities in place, teachers who work diligently, and midday meal
schemes in order to get kids back into school. There should be a school
within 5 km of every village or settlement. Then, a total ban on child
labour is more likely to be effective. Right now, there isn't enough
political pressure to ban child labour," says Mendonca. India has 110
million child workers - double the total population of Italy.
What is needed is not just a few new laws but an entire overhaul of the
system and better awareness within society. The state will have to
invest a lot into protecting and promoting child rights to restore the
image of the happy Indian family.
Copyright © 2007, Frontline.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/stories/20070504003311100.htm
