Pressure from rising costs can escalate violence against children

Posted on January 11, 2014

MALAYSIA: Experts are ringing alarm bells that child abuse cases are bound to escalate and a contributing factor is mounting pressure on families in trying to deal with the high cost of living.

The Malaysian Mental Health Association says the increased frustration of urban living, work pressure, monetary issues, loss of the cushioning effect of the extended family, could all lead to the mounting anger sensed these days.

“This anger often leads to aggression which could be displaced towards loved ones,” said its deputy president, Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj Chandrasekaran.

The consultant psychiatrist added: “The rising cost of living and high expectations of urban living often see both parents working.

“This also means greater frustrations experienced by both parents who are working especially with increasing cost of living and living beyond one’s means, leading to financial ruin.”

Past president of the Asean Federation for Psychiatry and Mental Health Prof Dr Mohamad Hussain Habil said that marriage breakdowns or financial problems could trigger the abusive side of a person.

He said the perpetrators of child abuse were likely to have been victims themselves, and suffered from some form of mental illness or personality disorder.

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Category(s):Child Development, Parenting

Source material from The Star