‘Kids hardly get to spend 1 hour with parents’

Busy schedules of parents are increasingly deprieving their children of their company and hence, they are growing up cocooned in their own world. A study by Assocham Ladies League (ALL) shows that over 65 percent of youngsters between the age of eight and 24 get to spend less than one hour with their parents.

This leads to a situation where youngsters become aloof, introverted, impatient and intolerant, says the study.

Parents are reaching home much later in the evening and leaving home much earlier in the morning and the consequences of this are that with the growing number of nuclear families, there is no one to look after the children in their absence, adds the study.

ALL Global Chairperson Harbeen Arora said: “Since violence and abuse emerge from complex causes, we require participation of multiple stakeholders in addressing the issue. The practices of responding to complaints and victims must become more sensitive and supportive, and civil society is ready to help in such endeavors.”

The study highlighted the fact that the majority of youth spend less time in and with their families resulting in estranged relationships. Most of the respondents rarely shared any problems with their parents. Thus, problems of communication, inadequate expression and lack of parental support have been identified as factors associated with behavioural problems in children and adolescents.

Urvashi Butalia Director & Co-founder , Kali for Woman said: “Rape and sexual assault are not merely women’s issues. They are a symbol of the deep-seated violence that women and other marginalized people experience every day in our society. So a mindset change is required and there’s a need for inculcating values for respecting women in our education and culture”

“Abuse and violence in families not only affects the psyche of a child but also hinders growth and development. Children from homes where domestic violence is occurring are also more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviour and tend to be intolerant and impatient”, adds the study.