Silent Suffering: A Study on the Abuse and Neglect of Elderly in the District of Kolkata, West Bengal

Description

Page: 593-596

Aditi Sarkar¹ and Barnika Bandyopadhyay² (Department of Education, Basanti Devi College, Kolkata, West Bengal¹ and Department of Sociology, Basanti Devi College, Kolkata, West Bengal²)

This study investigates the prevalence, nature, and impact of abuse and neglect experienced by elderly individuals in the District of Kolkata, West Bengal. Employing an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, the research first conducted qualitative interviews to explore lived experiences, which informed the development of a structured survey instrument. A total of 100 elderly individuals (50 males & 50 females) aged 60 and above were selected using random sampling. Findings reveal that 68% of respondents had experienced some form of abuse, with emotional abuse (51%) and verbal abuse (73%) being the most common. Financial exploitation and neglect were also significantly reported. Family members emerged as the primary perpetrators in 67% of the cases. Emotional neglect, lack of medical care, and financial dependency were prominent issues. Alarmingly, 62% of respondents were unaware of their legal rights, and 43% felt unsafe in their living environments. The study highlights the silent yet pervasive suffering of elderly individuals and underscores the urgent need for targeted community interventions, awareness programs, and policy implementation to safeguard the rights and well-being of senior citizens.