On April 12, a woman, a resident of Bhadohi district in Uttar Pradesh, jumped into the river after pushing her five children into it. The woman swam and survived, but the children drowned. The woman later confessed that her husband had been drinking all too frequently and quarreling with her in an inebriated state. Fed up with the domestic woes, the woman had taken this extreme step.

This lockdown hasn’t been easy on children; many are feeling vulnerable inside the four walls of their homes. The recent data on child violence amply supports that children are not happy in their homes during these times.

In recent times, the Childline India helpline ‘1098’ and the National Commission for Women statistics indicate that violence against children and women imprisoned in homes during lockdown has increased as compared to earlier. According to Childline India deputy director Harleen Walia, phone calls to the helpline have risen to 50 per cent since the lockdown (March 25). Three lakh calls have already been received in this duration whereas two lakh calls are received in normal days.

More than 8,000 calls regarding children’s violence and harassment are received every day of the lockdown. The major reason is that a large population is currently reeling under economic crisis, people have job uncertainties. With no chance to get out, more people are forced to live together in small houses. At present, people are suffering from stress and depression, which manifest in violence upon children.

“No one is able to find a way to overcome the situation in the country at the moment. There is an economic crisis in the family. People are not able to meet their basic needs. There are job uncertainties faced by everyone. During the lock-down, a large population is suffering from depression and stress. People are not able to share their mental anguish with anyone. The atmosphere is breeding violence that children and women are subjected to,” said Sachin Kumar Jain, who has been working on children welfare for a long time.

The Childline India helpline ‘1098’ has shared data on calls from different parts of the country. Between March 20 and 31, there have been three lakh calls on this helpline, which is much higher than normal days. Out of these calls, 30 per cent, (92,105) were children-related calls in which the children had sought protection from violence and harassment.

“The government in order to deal with these situations did not formulate any strategy, at the time of lockdown, which would have convinced the people that all will be fine in a few days. Therefore, the men of the houses are trying to hold down children and women so that they become used to living in limited resources. What is the size of the house in which a family is living? When living together in small houses, people’s freedom is compromised, so there you have a growing cause of violence,” Sachin Jain described yet another cause of violence. Sachin resides in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and is the director of ‘Vikas Samvad’ working for the rights of children.

On how to curb this violence presently, Sachin replied: “Dialogue with children is very important. Your relationship with them should be strong so that they share everything with you. According to statistics, 93 per cent of cases of violence are perpetrated by the known people, so if your child tells you something, listen carefully and act on it, no matter how special the person may be to you who is committing the violence?”

According to Sachin, there is a need for two lakh children counsellors in India.

As per the report of the National Crime Records Bureau, an institution registering crimes across the country, in 93% of the cases registered the crime is done by those who are known to the victim. According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s “Child Abuse in India’, of, 53.22 per cent of children in India have been sexually abused and assaulted in one or more ways.

Sohini Bhattacharya, president of the Breakthrough, speaks on the growing violence with children, said: “The person with whom the child is living can also be an abuser. The responsibility towards children in such cases is further increased. To deal with these, the child helpline and psychiatrist should be assigned a special role to help the victims of violence. The conditions following the lockdown will not alter but be even more serious, which will directly affect children and women.” Breakthrough is a voluntary organization that works across the country to eliminate violence and discrimination against women and girls.

Recently, the child rights organizations have written to the PMO demanding a toll-free number for children’s helpline ‘1098’. In view of the lockdown during COVID-19, this number was asked to be turned into an emergency number for children, parents and children’s caregivers.

Kumud Singh, a social activist in Bhopal, long associated with children welfare, attributes increased violence against the children during the lockdown to the gap in the dialogue. Kumud said: “For the past few years, we have been constantly running, we did not talk to each other in this busy life. The absence of mutual interaction within the house has also led to increase in violence has also increased during this time. Secondly, all avenues of income are closed, the people who did alcohol or other things are unable to get it. So, the men are in mental distress. Children and women at home are considered to be the weakest, so all male anger is directed towards them.”

Out of the calls that Childline has received during the lock-down, 11 per cent had been towards physical health, eight per cent of child labour, eight per cent of missing and children running away from home and five per cent about homeless children. In addition, 1,677 calls were received by the helpline in which questions were raised regarding coronavirus and 237 calls sought assistance for sick people.

Dr Sangita Sharma, member, Child welfare Committee, Lucknow, said: “Presently, it is one of the leading causes of violence. Schools are like lifelines for children and are closed, the children’s activities have been restricted, and they find themselves tied to a place that is also tense. Currently, one may contact any of the existing helplines that are 1098, 1090 and 112 immediately.

When asked how must the children be treated these days, Dr Sangita said: “We have to live like children with them. When an adult can become very upset at such times, why not children? Give children an atmosphere so that they are happy. If they are still not happy, it is justified to be offended them. At this time, there is a need to understand the feeling of children. Listen to their problems and try to please them. Do a lot of activity at home with your children to engage their thoughts and mind. If the home environment deteriorates, everything will go bad.”

Coronavirus infection continues to spread unabated and it is likely to increase the lockdown. In the event of lockdown extension, Dr Neha Anand, a psychologist from Lucknow, said: “At this time people are watching the Ramayana and Mahabharata on TV. The government can attempt to sensitize the people by making small advertisements during these serials. Through these advertisements, message should be conveyed to the men not to do violence towards children and women.”

She added: “The lockdown has increased the workload of women in homes. Men have not yet learned to help. Most men have in their nature to direct their stress and anger on children and women. Men should change this aspect of their nature. Help women around in household chores, tell children poetry or stories.

As per the National Crime Records Bureau (2001 to 2016) data, 1,09,065 children had committed suicide, 1,53,701 children had been raped, 2,49,383 children have been abducted in India.

Vandana Tete, who has worked with Adivasis for a long time in Ranchi, Jharkhand, said: “The status of Adivasis is not hidden from anyone. Daily wage-earning families are currently sitting in homes. How long would the government help? Drug addicts are not getting their supply. Their fury will be on children and women.”

Mohammad Ikram, who works as a child safeguarding policy manager in Breakthrough: “In many households, the parents who formerly had hired help to care for their children are now doing it themselves. The work load over working parents has increased further. So, they hand over their smartphones to the children. Children keep busy on phones all the time. Many human trafficking hackers who smuggle human beings harass children through social media. At such times, there is a need to spend copious amount of time with children, they need to understand this.” said

Yashasvi Kumud, 21, who works with children’s groups, said: “Children are always considered weak in the house. If there is any anger or stress of any kind, it is directly taken out on the children. Because one knows that there will be no retort from here. Therefore, children need their regular counseling besides studies so that they are aware of their rights.”

When asked how to reduce domestic violence during the lockdown, Sohini Bhattacharya suggested: “At this time, if ASHA workers going door-to-door to make people aware, also do so for the children’s helpline, every household will have access to this helpline. ASHAs have a lot of work at the moment, but presently there is no other way to reach every home.”