Over 40% elders abused by sons

These statistics for sure show Hyderabadis in a poor light. According to a survey conducted by Helpage India, 42.86 per cent of elders in the city face abuse on a daily basis. The worst part is their torturers are none other than their own children, particularly sons.

The survey found that 56 per cent of the elders pointed accusing fingers at their own sons while 23 per cent blamed their daughters-in-law. The survey in which 5600 senior citizens were interviewed spanned across 20 cities in India. Out of all the people interviewed, 31 per cent said they faced abuse every day at home. Bhopal has the ignominy of standing first with an abuse rate of 77.12 per cent followed by Guwahati 60.55 per cent and Lucknow 52 per cent. However, only 1.67 per cent of elders in Rajasthan stated they have been abused. Hyderabad is ranked five in the list.

Helpage India came up with the stats on the eve of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. As per the survey, 75 per cent of those who are abused, live with their families and 69 per cent own the house itself.

“We are from a generation who were born around the time of independence. The social structure was different back then and family bonds were stronger,” said Dr. Rao Chilkani, honorary president, FAPSCO, Andhra Pradesh. “This is a social evil which is like an iceberg where just 5 - 6 per cent of it is seen and the rest is hidden,” added RN Mittal, president, AISCON, India.

Disrespect, according to them, is the main form of abuse followed by neglect and verbal abuse. More than 50 per cent of the abused said that they had been facing the situation for more than five years. 45 per cent of the seniors reported incidents.Intergeneration gap was the main reason stated by senior citizens for the rise in cases of abuse. The most effective way to curb this form of domestic abuse, acording to them, is to implement nationwide programmes in schools to sensitise children.

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