On Violence Against Children in the Home

This article reports the findings of a study examining the violence experienced by children in their homes in Russia. The survey was conducted by the Scientific Research Institute of the Family, commissioned by the Commission on the Affairs of Women, the Family, and Demography under the President of the Russian Federation. The survey reveals that violence in the home can take various forms, from emotional and moral blackmail to the use of physical force, and in fact it is the latter that takes place the most often. The respondents cite the following as the reasons why they are beaten in their homes: (1) For doing something wrong; (2) For causing irritation; (3) When there's trouble in the home; (4) When there is no other way to handle them; (5) Because they do not love them; (6) It is done by someone who is mentally unbalanced; and (7) It is done by drunks and alcoholics. The author provides that determining instances of violence in the home and it causative factors are just the first step toward attempting to overcome it. The author also contends further that efforts to prevent violence in the home are to conducted along two lines: (1) Providing assistance of an emotional, neurological, behavioral, or general medical nature; and (2) Dealing with a complex of social problems and restoring disrupted balance.