Guwahati, June 14: A senior citizen can feel just as “abused” from a show of disrespect as from being chained to the terrace railings of his or her own house — something a Bangalore-based father had to endure for simply having “unhygienic habits”.

HelpAge India’s report, Elder Abuse in India 2013, which will be released on the occasion of the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day tomorrow, cites several such cases of domestic abuse most elderly persons have to go through in India at the hands of their relatives, including their sons and daughters-in-law.

Most importantly, the report reveals that most respondents feel abused when someone treats them with disrespect.

The scenario in Assam, however, is surprisingly different.

“The situation in Assam is relatively better than other states of the country. Every year, we take up one district for study,” Nilondra Tanya, state head of HelpAge India, told The Telegraph.

This year, HelpAge India had interviewed 6,748 respondents in Sivasagar district for the study.

“In Assam, none of the respondents reported any personal experience of abuse and none had observed elder abuse cases in their surroundings,” the report said, while revealing that 26 per cent of the respondents had agreed to the prevalence of elder abuse in society.

It also revealed that 32 per cent of the respondents considered economic exploitation as the most common form of abuse while 34 per cent considered disrespect as the second common cause.

Altogether 28 per cent reported to have developed effective social reporting and redress mechanism to deal with abuse. All the respondents were aware of the police helpline number whereas only 29 per cent were aware of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.

On the other hand, in Tripura, 5 per cent of the senior citizens interviewed reported experiences of elder abuse.

The report says according to the respondents across the country, disrespect, neglect and verbal abuse are the three major forms of abuse. These are also the most reported. The major reasons for such abusive behaviour include lack of adjustment, economic dependence of the abused on their relatives and increasing longevity.

In Tier-I (metro) cities 25 per cent reported abuse while in Tier-II cities 23 per cent reported it.

While more than one-fifth of the respondents reported experiences of abuse, the daughter-in-law was reported as a primary perpetrator by 39 per cent, followed closely those who blamed their own son (38 per cent). Altogether 83 per cent of the respondents lived with their families.

Altogether 29 per cent said increasing economic independence as an effective mechanism to deal with abuse, while 28 per cent reported about developing effective social reporting and redress mechanisms to deal with it. Another 25 per cent reported development of a legal redress mechanism to deal with abuse.

Most respondents suggested sensitising children and strengthening intergenerational bonding, increasing economic independence of the elderly and sensitising young adults as the measures to deal with the issue.

HelpAge India says the country is showing an unexpected and faster rise of the 60-plus age group. As a result, their security and wellbeing are becoming a matter of concern.

This year's survey was conducted in 24 cities of India by interviewing people above 60 years of age. The fieldwork was carried out between April 27 and May 17.