The Indian family is the last refuge of the secretive. Good, bad or ugly, very rarely is it held up to public scrutiny. But not any more. If the Prevention of Offences Against the Child Bill, 2009-shortly to be put up before the Cabinet-solidifies into law, corporal punishment by parents will become a punishable offence.ny form of persistent beating, battering, twisting and (even) pinching" is dubbed in the draft Bill as "violence, cruelty, inhuman and degrading treatment" and will invite rigorous imprisonment of up to three years or a fine, or both.
Children will be free to seek police intervention against parents when they cannot take it any longer. Social activists say it is not a moment too soon while parents insist it is a needless interference by a government in mummy state mode.Working parents spend less time with children and have to depend on others. Children at times face harsh treatment.Distressingly, 88.6 per cent of the children physically abused within the family are by their parents.
Section 17 of the Right to Education Act that came into effect on April 1 states that "no child shall be subjected to physical punishment and mental harassment", bringing mental harassment under the purview of corporal punishment in schools.The proposed Bill takes it a step further by widening the ambit of the provision by including treatment by the family.
Children will be free to seek police intervention against parents when they cannot take it any longer. Social activists say it is not a moment too soon while parents insist it is a needless interference by a government in mummy state mode.Working parents spend less time with children and have to depend on others. Children at times face harsh treatment.Distressingly, 88.6 per cent of the children physically abused within the family are by their parents.
Section 17 of the Right to Education Act that came into effect on April 1 states that "no child shall be subjected to physical punishment and mental harassment", bringing mental harassment under the purview of corporal punishment in schools.The proposed Bill takes it a step further by widening the ambit of the provision by including treatment by the family.