CHILD ABUSE: A

STUDY AMONG
SCHOOL CHILDREN.
Presented by:
G.NithyaLakshmi

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 General Objective:
• To study about child abuse among the children in school

Specific Objectives:
• To study about the awareness of child abuse among school
children.
• To study the social support system of the child.
• To study the prevalence of physical abuse among children.
• To study the prevalence of emotional abuse among
children.
• To study the prevalence of sexual abuse among children.
• To study the psychological problems in the child due to
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abuse.
Area of study :
The study of done in government aided school,
National Jaigopal Gordia School in Tambaram,
Chennai.
Design :
Descriptive
Universe :
The total strength of the three classes was
2,148.
Sample Size :

The total sample size was 60.

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Sample Design :
Quota Sampling
Source of Data :
Primary data was collected directly from respondents
and secondary data was collected from books, internet
and other research documents.
Tool :
Interview Schedule.
Pre Test :
The pre test was done 09 June 2008 with five
respondents and added question number 83 to the
interview schedule.
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Data Collection :
The data collection was done on 12th , 13th and 17th June
2008.

Definitions :
Conceptual Definitions :

School :
It is an institution for educating or giving instruction,
especially for children under 19 years including college
or university. - Oxford Dictionary

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 Child :
Child means “every human being below the age of 18 years
unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is
attained earlier”
- The United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child

Child Abuse :

The inflicting of injury or psychological damage on a

minor through assault, sexual exploitation or emotional
harm.
- Dictionary of Sociology
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Operational Definitions :
School :
School according to the study is a place where students
are taught under the guidance of teachers.
Child :
Child according to the study is a student who is
studying in National Jaigopal Gordia school.
Child Abuse :
According to the research it is the ill-treatment that the
child has undergone in school and other places as
reported by the child himself/herself.
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Main Findings.

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 Respondents knowledge about child

30

25

20

Upto 12 years
15
Upto 18 years
10
N ot
applicable
5

0
Girls Boys

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Respondents knowledge about abuse
Gender GIRLS BOYS TOTAL
Abuse
Irritating / 2 (7%) 6 (20%) 8 (13%)
Teasing a
Person
Depression 4 (13%) - 4 (7%)

Slapping / 4 (13%) 2(6%) 6 (10%)

Beating
Not 19 (64%) 19(64%) 38 (63%)
answered
Responses 1 (3%) 3(10%) 4 (7%)
Not Clear
Total 30 (100%) 30 (100%) 60 (100%)
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 Respondents Regularity of being Punished

N ot beaten
Only occasionaly
Girls Regurlaly

Boys

0 5 10 15 20

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 Respondents treated harshly

Gender GIRLS BOYS TOTAL

Treatment

Harshly 4 (13%) 15 (50%) 19 (32%)

Not 26 (87%) 15 (50%) 41 (68%)

Harshly
Total 30 (100%) 30 (100%) 60 (100%)

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Respondents experience of physical contact
in crowded place

30

25

20
Contacted
15
N ot Contacted
10 N ot Answered

0
Girls Boys

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 Respondents Abused

Abuses

Physical Abuse Emotional Abuse Sexual Abuse

(48 %) (50 %) (45 %)

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Other significant findings:
• Hundred percent of the respondents had friends.
• Hundred percent of the respondents liked their
teachers.
• The study highlights initially seventy percent of the
respondents were not aware of the term “Abuse”,
therefore the researcher had to tell the respondents
about it significantly.
• The study reveals a large proportion i.e. thirty seven
percent of boys think that punishment involves
mainly beating whereas on the whole seventy two
percent of the respondents feels telling them politely
is the best way of rectifying their mistakes. 15
• The study highlights that forty six percent of the
respondents psychological hurt was caused by being
humiliated in presence of others and fifty four
percent were not hurt.
• The study shows in many cases i.e. forty eight
percent the perpetrators are close relatives and only
two percent were abused by others.
• The study shows that ten percent of the respondents
took help from others when they were contacted in
crowded place.
• The study says that forty eight percent of the
respondents were fondled by close relatives whereas
fifty two percent of the respondents were not fondled

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• The study shows sixty three percent of the respondents
were happy about their past and minority of thirty five
percent kept brooding over the past.
• The study shows that eighty percent of the respondents
had their food properly and only twenty percent of the
respondents did not have food at proper time.
• The study shows that majority of seventy five percent
of the respondents tried to come out of the problem and
minority of twenty three percent of the respondents
have not made any attempt to get out of the difficulties.
• The study shows though students were subjected to
different form of abuse, hundred percent of them had
their plans for future career.

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Suggestions

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• The school should have the assistance of a male
and a female counselor to guide the students in
distress. This is an urgent requirement because the
students with academic interest are severely
affected by the trauma of abuse.

• Attitudinal changes on the part of children

themselves seem necessary, for punishment to
many of them only mean physical punishment.

• Suicidal thoughts and being subjected to

blackmail are some of the issues which are to be
addressed to the students and should also be
educated to overcome the issues in a positive way
with help of counselors.
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• The parents should be encouraged to talk to their
children freely about everything which they are
supposed to know to be safe and be protected.

• The students should be made aware of the toll free

number (1098) of child protection services in case
of emergency.

• The community or the neighborhood groups

should be educated about child abuse and should
also be encouraged to meet often and discusses
issues related to child abuses and safety of the
child.

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 Conclusion :
The research was taken up to find out the
amount of emotional abuse undergone among
the students compared to the other two types
of abuses viz. physical and sexual abuse. This
can be changed by taking effort to transform
their attitudes. Child abuse has become a
common phenomenon in today’s life but it
does not mean that a child has to undergo this
pain in childhood.
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Questions.

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Thank you.

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