Nuclear families give rise to crime against kids, elderly: Experts

KANPUR: The prevailing trend of nuclear families is a major reason of increasing crime graph in the city. According to psychologists, crime against elderly and kids are on rise due to the nuclear family trend. As in such family structures, the kids miss the cushion of unconditional love and support that only the elderly grandparents can provide and senior citizens miss the security that can be given by young members of the family.

Families are undergoing a drastic change in past few years. The main factors of change are modern education, development program-mes and urbanization. The direction of change is from the hold of collectivity (tribe, clan and family) to increasing individuality. This charm of independence and survival is giving rise to nuclear families.

According to psychological experts, stress 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 become more slave to responsibilities of home in this case.

"Trend of nuclear families is on the rise and majority of young couples choose to raise their children without the interference of 'outdated parents'.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 kids live alone at home," said Vipul Singh, psychologist atLala Lajpat Rai Hospital.

He added that this approach of the parents make the kids rebel who consider that the role of grandparents is nothing but a burden on family. On 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, child sexual abuse and murder of elderly persons are rising in the city. This has also happened due to nuclear families.

"It's always easy to attack elderly people and kids living alone as they are physically weak. If we see the recent crime graph, majority of child abuse case and murder of elderly took place in the families where kids and old aged people were living also. This gave opportunity to criminals as the way is smooth for them," said L K Singh, head psychologist at divisional psychological cent-re.

He added, "I don't know why people forget that the elderly can help the family at crucial times. They tide over any crisis with advice, experience and emotional support. They provide a cultural root by giving children memories of people, relationships, etc, which enhance the traditional aspect of children as well."

The expert also said that it's important to correct those who think that they will handle the family alone as grandparents can be 'valuable baby-sitters ' and an excellent form of alternative parenting.

May 15 is celebrated as the International Day of the Family. This day highlights the importance of families. It aims at fostering equality, bringing about a fuller sharing of domestic responsibilities and employment opportunities. The programmes to commemorate the day aim towards supporting families in the discharge of their functions. They tend to promote the inherent strengths of families, including their capacity of self-reliance and stimulate self-sustaining activities.

What your family gives to you

1.) Emotional basis: The integrative bonds in a family strengthened the mutual affection and cements bond of relationships

2.) Educative role: Childhood is spent in the family and he/she learns almost all the moral values and fundamental lessons of socialization from here only.

4.) Sense of responsibility: The feeling of personal responsibility towards one another is very important to ensure smooth working of the family.

5.)Persistence and change: Whereas family as an institution is the most permanent and universal one in human societies, as an association it is subject to constant changes in composition and structure, even within the same society.