Expert: Nuclear Families Giving Rise to Crimes Against Elderly and Children (INDIA)

By Ishita Mishra, TNN
May 14, 2012

 KANPUR: The trend of nuclear families is one of the major reasons of increasing crime in the city. According to the experts, crime against elderly and children rise due to the nuclear family trend as they miss the cushion of love, support and security which a joint family can provide.
According to the psychological experts, stress level has gone up in the society due to emergence of nuclear families. People believe that nuclear families will increase their independence but it is a wrong conception as they became more slave to responsibilities of home.
 "Trend of nuclear families is on the rise and majority of young couples want to raise their children without the interference of the 'outdated parents'. However, the condition of senior citizens is not that bad as most of them are self-dependent. But this has increased the crime graph in the city as elderly people and children live alone at home," Dr Vipul Singh, a psychologist at Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital, said.
He added that this approach of parents make the kids rebellious, who consider that the role of grandparents is nothing but a burden on family. On the contrary, the grandparents play an important role as an impartial negotiator between parents and kids and also provide them security in the absence of parents.
According to the experts, sexual abuse of children and murder of elderly persons are rising due to nuclear families.
"It's easy to attack an elderly person and kids living alone. If we see the recent crime graph, majority of child abuse cases and murder of elderly took place in the families where kids and old people were living alone. This gave courage and opportunity to criminals as the way is smooth for them," Dr LK Singh, head psychologist at the Divisional psychological centre, said.
He added: "I don't know why people forgot that elderly people can help the family at crucial times. They tide over any crisis with advice, experience and emotional support and also provide cultural and religious guidance to children." The grandparents can be 'valuable babysitters', he pointed out.

 SOURCE:     Times of India

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