Peer-reviewed article
Understanding Child Neglect And Its Consequences On Well Being Of Children:
Dr.A.Sivagami and Dr.T.Unnamalai and Dr.S.Rajeswari Dr.K.Maheswari ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This paper examines child neglect as a widespread form of abuse affecting Indian children, with nearly 90% experiencing some form of abuse before age 18. Child neglect—defined as insufficient care, love and attention by parents or caregivers—is presented as a serious public health problem with long-term consequences for children's health and well-being. The paper identifies socio-economic conditions, domestic violence, and parental mental health as key contributing factors. Prevention strategies are proposed including awareness-raising about children's rights, enforcement of child protection laws, and strengthening accountability across government, NGOs and civil society.
Key points
- 90% of Indian children experience some form of abuse before age 18
- Child neglect is defined as lack of love, care and attention by parents, caregivers or custodians
- Contributing factors include socio-economic conditions, domestic violence, and parental mental health issues
- Long-term effects of child neglect impact children's health, opportunities and well-being in later life
- Prevention requires awareness of children's rights, law enforcement, and strengthened accountability
Limitations
This document is a descriptive overview rather than an empirical study; it does not present primary research data, specific prevalence rates from rigorous surveys, or detailed evidence on the effectiveness of proposed prevention strategies. The 90% figure cited from media is not from a validated epidemiological study.
Abstract
One of the most prevalent types of child abuse is child neglect. India is a home to the largest child population in the world, with almost 41 per cent of the total population under eighteen years of age. But in this scenario, According to the Times of India 2023, 90% of children are abused in one way or the other before they attain the age of 18. The health and security of the country’s children is an integral part of nation’s progress and development. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) define that child maltreatment as harm experienced by a children under the age of 18 years by an adult or child that is in the form of physical, sexual or emotional but can also involve a lack of love, care and attention. Child neglect is very common serious public health problem and it has adverse effects on childhood experiences. It affects the health, opportunity, and wellbeing of children in their later life. Any form of neglect of a child under the age of eighteen by a parent, caregiver, or any person acting in a custodial capacity is considered child neglect. The important contributing factors of child neglect are socio-economic conditions of the family, living arrangements and living with domestic violence, parental mental health and drug and alcohol use. The prevalence of child neglect can be reduced through creating awareness of their rights among the children, especially the right to protection, among parents and other stakeholders, must strictly follow the laws (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act) to punish those who abuse /exploit the children and take action to strengthen accountability on the part of government, NGOs and the civil society.