'Violent' methods are adopted to teach discipline to children, UNICEF's study of 100 countries reveals

UNICEF has estimated that 400 million children around the world are victims of violence at home after collecting data from 100 countries from 2010 to 2023. According to UNICEF, this can include psychological abuse such as yelling at a child, or calling them "stupid" or "lazy" while physical abuse can also be a form of physical abuse.

To keep their children happy, parents often fulfill their every wish. But sometimes this not only makes the children stubborn but they also forget to follow discipline. Then many parents resort to scolding and beating. But this attitude has been termed wrong by UNICEF. UNICEF says that parents of about 40 crore children below the age of five worldwide use violence to teach discipline. As a result, this directly affects the development of the children. They feel less attachment to their loved ones.

60 percent of children of this age are those whose parents use violent methods to control them. UNICEF has made this estimate only after data from 100 countries collected from 2010 to 2023. According to UNICEF, psychological abuse can include yelling at a child, or calling them "stupid" or "lazy" while physical abuse can include acts like shaking, hitting or beating a child, or causing physical pain or discomfort without injury.

Many parents are in favor of corporal punishment

Of those nearly 400 million children, about 300 million experience corporal punishment, the UN agency said. Even though more and more countries are banning corporal punishment of children, about 500 million children under the age of five are not legally protected against such practices.

According to UNICEF, more than one in four mothers or responsible adults believe that corporal punishment is necessary to properly educate their children. UNICEF says that when children are subjected to physical or verbal abuse at home, or when they are deprived of social and emotional care from their loved ones, it can undermine their sense of self-worth and development. Good parenting can help children feel safe, learn, build skills and navigate the world around them.

Children under 5 years of age should not have toys…

The first International Sports Day is celebrated on 11 June. In view of this, for the first time, UNICEF has also put forward its views on how to enable children to play. According to data from 85 countries, one in every two children at the age of four cannot play with the person who takes care of them at home.

One in eight children under this age is obsessed. Children aged five have no toys at all. Nearly 40 percent of children aged two to four do not get meaningful interaction at home and one in 10 has no one to support emotional development, such as reading, storytelling. UNICEF has said that on the first International Day of Play, we must unite and recommit to ending violence against children and promoting positive, nurturing and playful care.