Child abuse across the globe

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that almost 53,000 child deaths in 2002 were due to child homicide. In the Global School-Based Student Health Survey carried out in a wide range of developing countries, between 20% and 65% of school going children reported having been verbally or physically bullied in school in the previous 30 days. Similar rates of bullying have been found in industrialised countries. An estimated 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 have experienced forced sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual violence involving physical contact. UNICEF estimates that in sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt and Sudan, 3 million girls and women are subjected to FGM every year. ILO estimates that 218 million children were involved in child labour in 2004, of whom 126 million were engaged in hazardous work. Estimates from 2000 suggest that 5.7 million were in forced or bonded labour, 1.8 million in prostitution and pornography and 1.2 million were victims of trafficking. Only 2.4% of the world's children are legally protected from corporal punishment in all settings

Child abuse is usually classified into three major types:

Physical abuse: According to WHO, Physical, abuse is the inflicting of physical injury upon a child. This may include burning, hitting, punching, shaking, kicking, beating or otherwise harming a child. The parent or caretaker may not have intended to hurt the child. It may, however, be the result of over-discipline or physical punishment that is inappropriate to the child's age. According to study by Sloan (1983:2-3) indicators of physical abuses in child are: bruises, burns, fractures, lacerations and abrasions, abdominal injuries, and human-bite marks. The behavioral indicators of physical abuse are: the abused child is wary of contact with adults, he/she becomes apprehensive when other children cry, s/he shows aggressiveness in behavior, he/she seems frightened of the parents/caretakers, and he/she is afraid to go home or cries when it is time to go home.

According to the national report on child abuse by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2007, Two out of every three children were physically abused. Out of 69% children physically abused in 13 sample states, 54.68% were boys. Over 50% children in all the 13 sample states were being subjected to one or the other form of physical abuse. Out of those children physically abused in family situations, 88.6% were physically abused by parents. 65% of school going children reported facing corporal punishment i.e. two out of three children were victims of corporal punishment, 62% of the corporal punishment was in government and municipal school. The State of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and Delhi have almost consistently reported higher rates.