According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), an estimated 8 million children around the world are abandoned each year due to poverty, family conflict, and other factors. 

This number is likely an underestimate, since many cases of abandonment, particularly in developing countries, go unreported. 

In the United States alone, approximately 550,000 children are abandoned each year, with the majority coming from minority populations. 

According to a report by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, an estimated 100 million children in India are in need of care and protection. 

Of these, approximately 18 million children are abandoned or orphaned. 

In 2017, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) reported that 33,354 children were abandoned in India during the previous year. 

Further, according to data from the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), the number of abandoned children being placed for adoption in India has steadily decreased over the past few years. 

In 2017, only 3,937 abandoned children were placed for adoption, compared to 4,848 in 2015. 

The abandonment rate for girls is higher than for boys, with most of the abandoned children being female. Further, the majority of abandoned children are found in rural areas.

Abandonment can have long-term negative effects on a child, including difficulty forming relationships, low self-esteem, and mental health issues.

Let’s understand the concept of what child abandonment means and  the causes of parental abandonment.

What does Child Abandonment Mean?

Child abandonment is a form of child neglect in which a parent, guardian, or custodian leaves a child without providing any or sufficient care, supervision, or support. 

In some cases, the parent may not have any contact with the child. In other cases, the parent may still provide some financial or other support, but does not provide adequate care.

Parental abandonment is the act of a parent ceasing to take an active role in their child’s life, either physically or emotionally. 

This can involve physically leaving the home, refusing to have contact with the child, or failing to provide financial support and permanently deserting a child without any regard for their physical needs, and emotional needs.

Parental Abandonment is a form of child abuse and neglect that can have serious and long-term consequences.

12 Prevalent Causes of Parental Abandonment

There are a lot of causes as to why a parent chooses to abandon their child, but we’ll be talking about the prevalent causes of parental abandonment.

The 12 Prevalent Causes Of Parental Abandonment include

Substance Abuse:

Substance abuse can lead to abandonment, as the parent may be too impaired to care for their children or maybe incarcerated due to their actions. Substance abuse can cause a parent to abandon their child, either due to their own inability to provide adequate care or because of the lifestyle associated with substance abuse. 

Mental Illness:

Mental illness can lead to abandonment if a parent is unable or unwilling to care for their children due to their condition. Mental illness can cause a parent to abandon their child. This could be due to a lack of understanding of their child’s needs, or a lack of ability to provide adequate care. 

Financial Hardship:

A parent may abandon their children if they are unable to provide for them due to financial strain. Financial issues can cause a parent to abandon their child due to a lack of resources to provide for them. 

Domestic Violence:

Domestic violence can lead to abandonment if a parent feels unsafe in their home and chooses to leave. 

Fear of Parenting:

Some parents may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of parenting and decide to abandon their children.

Relationship Problems:

Relationship problems can lead to parental abandonment, either due to a breakdown in communication between the parents or because of a lack of commitment from one of the parents. 

Trauma:

Trauma can cause a parent to abandon their child, either due to the difficulty of dealing with their own trauma or because of a fear of passing it down to their child. 

Social Pressure:

Social pressure can cause a parent to abandon their child due to a fear of judgment or stigma. This could include pressure from family, friends, or the wider community.

Abuse or neglect:

Parents who are abusive or neglectful may be unable to provide for their children’s basic needs and may choose to abandon them in order to protect them from further harm. 

Family dynamics:

Dysfunctional family dynamics, such as divorce or parental separation, can lead to a parent feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope with the responsibilities of parenting. This can lead to a parent abandoning their children. 

Cultural influences:

Cultural influences, such as arranged marriages, can lead to a parent feeling obligated to abandon their children in order to preserve their family’s honor.

Lack of emotional support:

When parents are unable to provide emotional support or understanding to their children, they may feel isolated and alone and choose to abandon them.

Child abandonment is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. It can have long-term negative effects on the child and can lead to emotional, psychological, and physical harm.

Conclusion

The trauma associated with abandonment can lead to issues such as depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, and an increased risk of engaging in criminal behavior. 

It is important to address these issues and provide support for children who have been abandoned, as this can help them better cope with the emotional and psychological trauma that comes with abandonment. 

Additionally, it is important to create prevention strategies to help reduce the prevalence of child abandonment. 

Such strategies may include providing support and resources to parents who are at risk of abandoning their children and increasing awareness about the issue.