Abuse In India Research Articles

Silence of male child sexual abuse in India: Qualitative analysis of barriers for seeking psychiatric help in a multidisciplinary unit in a general hospital

Introduction:In 2007, Ministry of Women and Child Welfare, supported by United Nations Children's Fund, save the children and Prayas conducted a study to understand the magnitude of child abuse in India, they found that 53.22% children faced one or more forms of sexual abuse; among them, the number of boys abused was 52.94%.Aim:The aim of this study was to explore the barriers for seeking psychiatric help by qualitative analysis of stake holders of male victims of child abuse.Materials and Methods:All the statements made by the stakeholders regarding psychiatric assessment and treatment were recorded in each referral made to the psychiatrist. Semistructured interviews and in-depth interviews were conducted to explore the topic of understanding the need for psychiatric treatment to the victims.Results:Collaborative child response unit, a multidisciplinary team, to tackle child sexual abuse in a general hospital received three referrals of male child abuse among the 27 referrals in 20 months. The main theme of the barrier that was generated by interviewing the stakeholders of male child victims of abuse was the misconception of superiority of a male victim due to gender (patriarchy) an expectation that he will outgrow the experience. In-depth interviews of three cases of homosexual abuse explored the theme.Conclusion:Patriarchy is oppressing male children and acts as a barrier to seek psychiatric help in collaborative child response unit.

Examining the sociological elements that impact drug addiction and abuse in India

Examining the sociological elements that impact drug addiction and abuse in India

Pattern and profile of children using substances in India: Insights and recommendations.

India has one of the largest proportion of children and adolescents in the world, but the threat posed by child substance use remains under-researched. Only recently a large study, the first of its kind in India, was carried out with a sample of nearly 4000 children using substances (school-going, out-of-school as well as street children) across more than a hundred cities/towns. We discuss (i) the existing knowledge on the prevalence of child substance abuse in India; (ii) perspectives and insights gained from the recent nation-wide study on its pattern and profile; and (iii) recommendations for substance use prevention and treatment among children in the Indian context. A multipronged approach involving all stakeholders is required to address the issues of prevention and treatment.

Deception in the Service of the Family: Observations on Alcoholism Treatment in Kerala, India

ABSTRACTDespite its reputation for advanced social development, the state of Kerala has significant problems, including one of the highest rates of alcohol abuse in India. Among negative consequences of alcohol abuse is the increase of domestic violence. The author observed three de-addiction centers in the capital city of Trivandrum and found that patients' wives were encouraged to put disulfiram in their husbands' food following discharge. This study explores social and cultural factors underlying the development of increased alcohol use in Kerala and the reliance on deception as a solution to the problem of alcohol abuse and domestic violence.

Why do young people sniff? An exploratory study of adolescent inhalant abuse from north India

Background: Inhalant abuse among adolescents is a growing problem worldwide including developing countries like India. It is important to understand the nature of adolescent inhalant abuse behaviour in order to counter the emerging problem.Aims: 1. To assess sociodemographic profile of treatment-seeking adolescents with inhalant abuse. 2. To explore inhalant abuse behaviour among treatment-seeking adolescents.Method: A 6-month long explorative study on 23 consecutive male adolescents seeking treatment for inhalant abuse (aged 13–18) in a tertiary de-addiction centre of India was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire and a checklist to inquire about the perceived effect of inhalant abuse.Results: All adolescent males [mean age 16 (SD = 1.86) years] belonged to urban area and enjoyed adequate social support. “Sniffing” was the commonest route of inhalant abuse. Experimentation and peer pressure were the commonest reasons reported by adolescents for initiation (65.21%), whereas boldness (56%) was the commonest perceived effect of inhalant abuse.Conclusions: While experimentation and peer pressure contribute in initiation, perceived effects like boldness contribute in continuation of adolescent inhalant abuse in India. Increase in confidence and boldness is a much-desired effect in growing adolescents, and the abuse of inhalants reinforces the same.

Child sexual abuse in India: A review

The Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) 2012 is the first comprehensive law in India on child sexual abuse which expands the scope and range of forms of sexual offences, making reporting of abuse mandatory and defines guidelines for child friendly police and procedures. Doctors and health care professionals are often the first point of contact with abused children and their families. They play a key role in detecting abuse and providing immediate and longer term care and support to children and their families. Hence, they must have an overview of child sexual abuse – prevention, detection and management of abuse from a legal, medical and mental health angle.

What happens to the “hand that rocked the cradle”? A study of elderly abuse in India

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the possible causes of elderly abuse in India and its repercussions for the society, based on the real cases and reports. Design/methodology/approach – A multiple case study approach has been used for the study sourced from archival newspaper reports, crime reports, and narration. Findings – Greater vigilance and more effective legislation would be required to solve the problem related to elder abuse. Originality/value – There is not much study of causes, consequences, effectiveness of the legal system with respect to elderly abuse in India. In that way, it will be a unique contribution.

Abuse against elderly in India – The role of education

BackgroundAbuse against the elderly is recognized as an important challenge to elderly health, but its determinants are not yet well understood. We present findings from a new dataset which covers a representative sample of the population aged 60 years and above from seven Indian states across India – all of which have a higher proportion aged 60 plus compared to the national average. Earlier studies suggest that schooling levels can be relevant in determining the level of abuse against seniors. This study focuses on the role of education on the prevalence of elderly abuse in India.MethodsWe conduct an analysis of cross sectional primary data that contains information on elderly abuse. The households in the sample were randomly selected from the seven demographically oldest states in India. These states are Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. A total of 9852 elderly from 8329 households were interviewed. The statistical analysis is based on logistic regression to understand the independent relation of education with abuse against the elderly.ResultsOur findings reveal that 11% of 60+ year olds have experienced at least one type of elderly abuse (Physical 5.3%, Verbal 10.2%, Economic 5.4%, Disrespect 6%, Neglect 5.2%). The most common perpetrator is the son, who is reported to be responsible for the abuse among 41% of male victims and 43% of female victims. Formal education among elderly beyond a certain level (8 years) has a strong relation with reduced violence against elderly.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that level of schooling among elderly is strongly negatively related to abuse against them. More members in the household reduces the chance of abuse while having a greater number of children increases the chance of abuse (neglect and verbal abuse). We find that education even after controlling for wealth and other relevant variables is the factor that most consistently lowers elderly abuse. However, the relation of education to abuse is limited to those with more than 8 years of schooling. This suggests that the ongoing educational expansion beyond the basic schooling years in India may lead to a decline in the incidence of elderly abuse.

Microscopical and Chemical Study of Cannabis sativa

Now a day’s cannabis is enormously using as for the drug abuse in India including other developing countries. The plant Cannabis sativa is also known as marijuana, presents unique issues in our justice system, not the least of which is its identification both by law enforcement officers as well as Forensic Crime Laboratories. Present work is aimed for identification of that biological evidence of Cannabis plant, which can enhance the suitability of identification. Comprehensive studies of both chemical and morphological methods have led investigators to conclude that the two approaches are complementary [1]. In this morphological study was performed by using trinoccular biological research microscope while chemical study by colour/spot tests and Thin Layer Chromatography due to its ease of availability and handling. A combination of the two provides experienced analysts with a very reliable means for identifying Cannabis fragments. If any of the residue/fragments of Cannabis plant found at the crime scene, a Forensic Analyst (investigator) can adopt any of the identification technique as suitable as for their reliability [2]. Some of the researchers have been already qualified these types of techniques but present study included the anatomy of root, stem, with their visual feature followed by chemical and instrumental techniques which can provide accuracy of identification.

Child Sexual Abuse in India: Current Issues and Research

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a serious and widespread problem in India as it is in many parts of the world today. The trauma associated with sexual abuse can contribute to arrested development, as well as a host of psychological and emotional disorders, that some children and adolescents may never overcome. When sexual abuse goes unreported and children are not given the protective and therapeutic assistance they need, they are left to suffer in silence. This article discusses the nature and incidence of the sexual abuse of minors in India and presents an overview of research findings to date. Socio-cultural and familial risk factors involved in CSA are discussed. Common symptoms and disorders associated with sexual abuse are outlined. Finally, some implications for counselors working with children in India who have been sexually abused are highlighted.

Elder Abuse in India: Extrapolating From the Experiences of Seniors in India's “Pay And Stay” Homes

Primary research on the issue of elder abuse and neglect in India is limited due to tremendous reluctance to discuss intergenerational conflicts. Nevertheless, researchers are beginning to identify collective voices of perceptions of abuse and neglect that are more rampant than individuals may directly admit. In this study of senior residents living in India's “pay and stay” homes, 150 individuals were interviewed in order to understand their relocation experience. Results suggest that challenges in interpersonal family relationships, conflicts in values and perceptions, particularly with regard to neglect and abandonment, are evident in descriptions of the relocation experience.

Combating child abuse: the role of a dentist.

Child abuse has serious physical and psychosocial consequences which adversely affect the health and overall well-being of a child. However, in a developing country like India there has been no knowledge of the extent, magnitude and trends of the problem. This study reviews the overall scenario of child abuse in India as well as the role of the dentist in recognising and thereby combating this problem. Among health professionals, dentists are probably in the most favourable position to recognise child abuse, with opportunities to observe and assess not only the physical and the psychological condition of the children, but also the family environment. The high frequency of facial injuries associated with physical abuse places the dentist at the forefront of professionals to detect and treat an abused child. Screening for maltreatment should be an integral part of any clinical examination performed on a child. Although many injuries are not caused by abuse, dentists should always be suspicious of traumatic injuries. The dental professional's role in child abuse and neglect is to know the current state law regarding reporting child abuse and to follow the law. Awareness, identification, documentation and notification should be carried out by the dentist. Paediatric dentists can provide valuable information and assistance to physicians about oral and dental aspects of child abuse and neglect. Such efforts will strengthen the ability to prevent and detect child abuse and neglect and enhance care and protection for the children.

Drug Abuse in India: Grounding Research in Ecological Risk and Resilience Theory

As drug trends change globally, risks affecting individuals and families from diverse backgrounds become more complex. To critically examine the contexts that foster drug abuse, the authors developed a conceptual model that identifies factors that predispose toward or protect individuals from drug use and abuse. The model utilizes an ecological risk and resilience framework for understanding drug problems in India. There are risk factors that increase the likelihood of drug use, abuse, dependence, and secondary problems. Alternatively, effective protective (resilience) factors at all levels of the system have the potential to reduce risk for drug dependence and its repercussions. The authors posit that this model can help guide research, evaluation, and program planning related to drug abuse and other social issues. The model can be replicated to address impacts on individuals, families, and communities in other cultures and cross‐cultural comparisons can be made.

Addiction Research Centres and the Nurturing of Creativity: National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, India—a profile

The National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) is a part of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a premier autonomous medical university in India. This article provides an account of its origin and its contribution to the field of substance use disorder at the national and international levels. Since its establishment, the NDDTC has played a major role in the development of various replicable models of care, the training of post-graduate students of psychiatry, research, policy development and planning. An assessment of the magnitude of drug abuse in India began in the early 1990s and this was followed by a National Survey on Extent, Patterns and Trends of Drug Abuse in 2004. Several models of clinical care have been developed for population subgroups in diverse settings. The centre played an important role in producing data and resource material which helped to scale up opioid substitution treatment in India. A nationwide database on the profile of patients seeking treatment (Drug Abuse Monitoring System) at government drug treatment centres has also been created. The centre has provided valuable inputs for the Government of India's programme planning. Besides clinical studies, research has also focused on pre-clinical studies. Capacity-building is an important priority, with training curricula and resource material being developed for doctors and paramedical staff. Many of these training programmes are conducted in collaboration with other institutions in the country. The NDDTC has received funding from several national and international organizations for research and scientific meetings, and, most recently (2012), it has been designated as a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Substance Abuse.

Child Abuse in India

Child abuse is harm to, or neglect of, a child by another person, whether adult or child. Child abuse happens in all cultural, ethnic, and income groups. Child abuse can be physical, emotional - verbal, sexual or through neglect. Abuse may cause serious injury to the child and may even result in death. A problem that is only beginning to come into light in India rape, sexual abuse, and sexual harassment are worldwide issues of gender violence. There is very little research done in this area in India and only a few books have been written, keeping the subject even further from the consciousness of the country. However, the problem persists with staggering incidence, and Indians unique profile adds to the complexity of an already difficult subject. Fortunately, the issue of child sexual abuse is slowly becoming a more recognized issue, and for this reason, this paper will focus much on sexual abuse against minor children: the laws, victims, and perpetrators. Finally, an analysis of the aspects of Indian culture that make this issue particularly difficult to understand and cope with will be presented.

The Evolution of Alcohol Use in India

This paper traces the role of alcohol production and use in the daily lives of people in India, from ancient times to the present day. Alcohol use has been an issue of great ambivalence throughout the rich and long history of the Indian subcontinent. The behaviors and attitudes about alcohol use in India are very complex, contradictory and convoluted because of the many different influences in that history. The evolution of alcohol use patterns in India can be divided into four broad historical periods (time of written records), beginning with the Vedic era (ca. 1500-700 BCE). From 700 BCE to 1100 CE, ("Reinterpretation and Synthesis") is the time of emergence of Buddhism and Jainism, with some new anti-alcohol doctrines, as well as post-Vedic developments in the Hindu traditions and scholarly writing. The writings of the renowned medical practitioners, Charaka and Susruta, added new lines of thought, including arguments for "moderate alcohol use." The Period of Islamic Influence (1100-1800 CE), including the Mughal era from the 1520s to 1800, exhibited a complex interplay of widespread alcohol use, competing with the clear Quranic opposition to alcohol consumption. The fourth period (1800 to the present) includes the deep influence of British colonial rule and the recent half century of Indian independence, beginning in 1947. The contradictions and ambiguities-with widespread alcohol use in some sectors of society, including the high status caste of warriors/rulers (Kshatriyas), versus prohibitions and condemnation of alcohol use, especially for the Brahmin (scholar-priest) caste, have produced alcohol use patterns that include frequent high-risk, heavy and hazardous drinking. The recent increases in alcohol consumption in many sectors of the general Indian population, coupled with the strong evidence of the role of alcohol in the spread of HIV/STI infections and other health risks, point to the need for detailed understanding of the complex cross-currents emerging from the past history of alcohol use and abuse in India.

Child Abuse in India- Time for introspection

For the first time in India the study regarding child abuse was conducted in 13 states. The findings of this study will help in the understanding of all stakeholders including families, communities, civil society and state. In National study done by Ministry of Women and child development supported by UNICEF in 13 states of India on child abuse revealed alarming results on child abuse2. This is the first time the government has done such an exhaustive survey on the controversial issue of child abuse. It revealed that across different kinds of child abuse, it is young children i.e. 5-12 year age group children who suffers the most. Two out of every three children were physically abused. 53.22% children reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse. 21.90% child respondents reported facing severe forms of sexual abuse and 50.76% other forms of sexual abuse. Every second child reported facing emotional abuse.

Predictors of HIV risk among men seeking treatment for substance abuse in India.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and correlates of HIV risk among men receiving treatment for substance abuse in India. Consecutive inpatients from the major substance abuse hospital in southern India were screened using a structured interview and standardized measures to obtain demographic, psychiatric, sexual behavior, and substance use data at the time of admission. Seventy-seven percent of the 352 men who were screened reported that they were sexually active during the past year, and 13% reported that they had engaged in sexual practices associated with greater risk. The most common risk practices in the past year included having multiple sexual partners (7%), paying for sex (5%), and having unprotected anal sex (4%). Engaging in risky sexual practices was associated with the presence of a co-occurring psychiatric disorder and higher scores on a drug abuse screening measure. Assessing HIV risk in substance abuse settings can help to identify patients who may benefit from HIV-risk reduction programs.

Sexual behaviors and reproductive health outcomes: associations with wife abuse in India.

Wife abuse has been associated with a variety of health concerns. Associations between abuse and reproductive health in India are not well known. To examine relationships between men's reports of wife abuse and reproductive health issues in northern India. Structured face-to-face interviews were conducted as part of the male reproductive health supplement of the PERFORM System of Indicators Survey, a systematic multistage survey conducted in 1995-1996. The northern state of Uttar Pradesh, one of the least developed states in India. A total of 6632 married men aged 15 to 65 years who lived with their wives and completed all survey questions for the study variables reported here. Physically and sexually abusive behaviors toward wives, sexual activities outside marriage, sexually transmitted disease (STD) symptoms, contraception use, unplanned pregnancies, and sociodemographic characteristics. Fifty-four percent of men reported not abusing their wives, while 17% reported physically but not sexually abusing their wives, 22% reported sexual abuse without physical force, and 7% reported sexual abuse with physical force. Abuse was more common among men who had extramarital sex (for sexual abuse using force: odds ratio [OR], 6.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.98-9.72). Similarly, men who had STD symptoms were more likely to abuse their wives (with current symptoms: OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.73-3.42). Unplanned pregnancies were significantly more common among wives of abusive men, especially sexually abusive men who used force (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.91-3.60). Wife abuse appears to be fairly common in northern India. Our findings that abusive men were more likely to engage in extramarital sex and have STD symptoms suggest that these men may be acquiring STDs from their extramarital relationships, thereby placing their wives at risk for STD acquisition, sometimes via sexual abuse. These abusive sexual behaviors also may result in an elevated rate of unplanned pregnancies.

Abuse of codeine‐containing cough syrups: a report from India

To study the socio-demographic and clinical profile of patients seeking treatment for abuse of codeine-containing cough syrups (CCS). Observational; case series. An addiction clinic in North India. Forty-six consecutive treatment-seeking patients of DSM-III-R-diagnosed dependence on CCS, from January 1994 to June 1995. Semi-structured interview schedule for patients and their family covering socio-demographic and clinical variables. All patients were male. Many were young (mean age 27 years), with completed school education (85%) and from urban backgrounds (80%). The mean age of starting CCS use was 23 years. Initiated commonly through friends (89%) and often for curiosity (63%), 89% of the patients progressed to daily use of CCS in less than 6 months (54% in less than a month), and in quantities much higher than prescribed limits. Opioid-like withdrawal was reported by 92%. Concurrent use of other substances, psychiatric co-morbidity and HIV-related risk behaviour were present in 72%, 24% and 45%, respectively. Most of the patients reported a 'stimulant' effect of CCS ('alert', 96%; 'more active', 94%). The combination of an opioid and a sympathomimetic agent in the CCS may cause a special, distinct euphoretic effect. This effect, along with the low price, easy availability and 'pure' preparation of CCS, may be responsible for the rapidly rising popularity of the CCS as drugs of abuse in India.