A disturbing new study published in PLOS One has unveiled what many in India have long ignored—the children of mothers subjected to domestic violence are paying a heavy price with their mental health. Conducted by researchers at NIMHANS and Sensortium, Bengaluru, the study tracked nearly 2,800 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 across seven centers in both urban and rural India. Its conclusion is stark: teenagers whose mothers experience physical, emotional, or sexual abuse are far more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and psychological distress.
Domestic violence in India has often been discussed narrowly as an issue of women’s rights. This research forces us to confront the larger reality—it is a generational crisis. Children growing up in homes scarred by violence breathe in an atmosphere of fear and humiliation. Their wounds are not visible, yet they shape their identities, impair their education, and in many cases push them toward trauma, self-harm, and even suicidal tendencies.
The numbers alone are chilling. One in three Indian women faces domestic violence. Beyond miscarriages, premature births, and the physical toll on women, the consequences extend to children who become unknowing witnesses and sufferers. Western studies have long established this intergenerational damage, and now Indian evidence confirms it.
The research also draws attention to cultural complexities. The joint family system—often romanticized as a shield of support—can act as a double-edged sword. While elders may sometimes intervene to protect women, they can equally perpetuate abuse by siding with the abuser or reinforcing oppressive traditions. Disturbing practices such as denying contraception until a male child is born, forcing women to return to their parental homes, or using threats and verbal abuse deepen the trauma that children silently absorb.
The implications are clear. Domestic violence is not confined to private households; it is a public health crisis with far-reaching social costs. India needs urgent, multi-pronged action—strengthening laws, ensuring effective enforcement, introducing trauma-sensitive curricula in schools, and creating community-level awareness to dismantle harmful norms.
When a mother is abused, her child inherits wounds deeper than bruises. Protecting women is not just a moral imperative—it is an investment in the mental health and future of the next generation.
