Study on Child abuse: India 2007

A National Study on Child Abuse, released by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in India with the support of UNICEF, Save the Children and Prayas. The study, which covers 13 states in India and a sample size of 12,447 children, looks at the extent and characteristics of child abuse and girl neglect in India.The purpose of the study was to develop a dependable and comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of child abuse, with a view to facilitate the formulation of appropriate policies and programmes meant to effectively curb and control the problem of child abuse in India. Findings show that children on the street, children at work and children in institutional care reported the highest incidence of sexual assault, while the majority of abuse cases take place within the family environment, the perpetrators being close family relatives. The study has provided revealing statistics on the extent and magnitude of various forms of child abuse and has generated data on variations among different age groups, gender variations, state variations and variations within evidence groups. The findings will help strengthen the understanding of all stakeholders including families, communities, civil society organizations and the state, and pave the way for more informed
programming and further research to strengthen the protection of children.