Bhubaneswar: The state capital shares the top position in prevalence of elder abuse with the national capital according to a report published by HelpAge India Thursday. The report titled ‘Elder Abuse in India 2018 – Changing Cultural Ethos & Impact of Technology’ covers 23 Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities across India, and is based on data collected from 5,014 respondents.
This was the first time the study also analysed the impact of social media and technology on elder abuse. According to the report, 82 per cent of the respondents included in the study from Bhubaneswar, felt they were disrespected. The study says disrespect was the most prevalent form of elder abuse across the country accounting for 56 per cent. Bhubaneswar stood on par with Delhi in terms of “prevalence of elder abuse in the society” with 87 per cent respondents affirming its existence.
23 per cent of the respondents from the city said they faced one or other form of abuse. These included: Disrespect (82%), Beating or slapping (22%), verbal abuse (29%), economic exploitation (31%) and neglect (29%).
According to the survey, six out of 10 elders in Bhubaneswar were living alone, while the rest were living with their spouses. Elders here, the report indicates, are facing common forms of abuse and neglect and that most elderly persons were keeping mum as they are worried about family honour.
Overall, Mangalore (47%), Ahmedabad (46%), Bhopal (39%), Amritsar (35%) and Delhi (33%) topped the table in terms of elder abuse. Among the forms of abuse experienced, verbal abuse (49%), neglect (33%), economic exploitation (22%) and beating and slapping (12%) were the most prevalent.
“Each year we try to get a better understanding of the existence of this heinous crime against the elderly and create awareness about the issue. Unfortunately, elder abuse starts at home and comes from people whom they trust the most. This year sons were found to be the foremost perpetrators of elder abuse, followed by the daughter-in-law who normally is perceived as the primary abuser according to past surveys,” Mathew Cherian, CEO, HelpAge India, said.
