Children's Ingratitude, Negligence and Abuse towards Elderly Parents: A Sociological Insights from Bangladesh Society

With society’s transition from traditional to modern to neoliberal, social norms, values, kinship ties, and family bonding are becoming weaker day by day. Increasing abuse, ingratitude, and negligence towards parents bear testimony to such a changing social milieu where parents and elderly people are being victimized by their children worldwide. Although religion and cultural practices dominate Bangladeshi society to some extent, analogous patterns of abuse and neglect towards parents are rampant. Despite the fact that it has become a major societal issue that threatens the lives and well-being of elderly parents, only a few studies have investigated parental and elderly abuse by their offspring, resulting in a dearth of empirical evidence. Taking the lacuna in the literature into account, this study explores the nature, causes, and effects of parental and elder abuse and neglect in Bangladeshi society. The relevant news published in national media between January 2021 and January 2023 will be analyzed using a qualitative research design and a case study approach. To categorize case studies on parental and elderly abuse and neglect, a thematic approach and content analysis will be applied to address the research questions. These themes include types and causes of abuse and negligence, consequences, institutional support after incidents, gaps in existing policy, and combat mechanisms. The results of the study may be used as a guide for future research and pave the way for policymakers to protect and advance the rights and well-being of elderly parents.