Child abuse in India: An empirical report on perceptions

Abstract

A small but growing body of literature has begun to provide an understanding of child abuse in India. However, there is a dearth of empirical evidence to support general observations. Because it is believed that child abuse in India has not received adequate attention primarily because of a general lack of sensitivity to the issue, this study sought to assess perceptions of child abuse by Indian nationals. Comparisons between social workers, other human service professionals, and those not involved in human services fields revealed that there was negligible variation in perceptions of the severity of different forms of abuse. Cross-cultural comparisons with a U.S. study indicated some differences in perceptions. Implications of the findings are discussed.