http://www.playfuls.com/news_10_23566-Mothers-abuse-Children-More-Than-Fathers-Report.html
Mothers 'abuse' Children More Than Fathers: Report

April 10, 2007, Indo-Asian News Service (IN)---Most of the emotional and physical abuse suffered by children in Indian families is inflicted by mothers, says a government-conducted survey. The study, released by the women and child development ministry, says out of the 15,000 child respondents, 50.9 percent children were subjected to physical abuse by their mothers while 37.6 percent faced abuse from their fathers.

According to the study, 44.13 percent reported facing humiliation. The report has taken humiliation--referred to as degradation of self-esteem of a child by shouting, belittling, name-calling and using abusive language--as well as comparison with other children as indicators of emotional abuse.

Shockingly, around 44.09 percent reported being humiliated by their mothers and 35.35 by their fathers.

"If put together, almost 89 percent children were subjected to physical abuse by their parents, who have the primary responsibility of protecting their children," said the survey conducted with the support of the Unicef and two NGOs, Save the Child and Prayas.

It said 45.5 percent 5-12 age group, 42.24 percent in the 13-14 age group and 43.54 percent in the 15-18 age group reported being humiliated in the family environment. Among the 13 sample states from where the data was collected, Assam reported the highest incidence of emotional abuse followed by Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar.

"Among young adults, a higher percentage of males reported facing emotional abuse," the report said.

In the national capital, 87 percent of female young adults reported going through one or more forms of emotional abuse in childhood. At least 48.4 percent girls wished they were boys as more than two out of three girls felt they were neglected.

"Seventy percent of the girls did household work and 49 percent of the girls took care of their siblings. This is indicative of the fact that these girls are deprived of developmental opportunities," the report said.