Though 71 per cent of the youth is aware of elder abuse within the four walls of the house, only 33 per cent admit that it exists in their family, and 45 per cent is unwilling to prevent it despite having clear solution to address the problem.
These are some of the startling findings HelpAge India put in its annual survey carried out across 10 cities in India — Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Nagpur. It has also indicated that family members turn out to be the prime perpetrators.
With this year’s focus on how the younger generation respond to the growing social concern, the HelpAge India unveiled its nationwide report — Elder Abuse: The Indian Youth Speaks Out — on the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day observed here on Monday. “The prime objective is to sensitise people on the issue and encourage them to become agents of change to prevent elder abuse. Since there is a drastic rise in the number of cases in the last five years, the government should accelerate remedial measures to put an end to this heinous crime,” says L. Mrinal, liaison manager of HelpAge India, Andhra Pradesh.
The study has revealed that a significant number of cases go unrecorded as most senior citizens refuse to share their dark experience to uphold family honour.
“However, we intend to look at the larger picture of the issue and try to improve the quality of life for the elderly by identifying their problems and providing better support system,” says Mr. Mrinal. According to the survey, daughters-in-law top the list of primary abusers, contributing to 50.2 per cent of the abuse rate. Verbal abuse and rude behaviour towards the elderly form 72.4 per cent.
Former ANU Vice-Chancellor V. Balamohandas, president of Shashtipoorthi Abyudaya M.V.S. Rai, and chairman of Sneha Sandhya T.V.S. Rao, who attended the programme, said that the declining trend of value-based education system for the younger generation was one of the main reasons for their unethical behaviour.
To mark the day, HelpAge India conducted a walkathon on the Beach Road from Kali Mata temple to YMCA.
HelpAge India survey reveals startling facts on elder abuse
