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40 percent of Armenian parents prefer physical abuse as an upbringing method for their children, Armenia’s Child Protection Network (ACPN) says in a newly released study, supping up the survey data held among 10 thousand Armenian parents.

“This came not as news to us, since the 2010 data suggested the same numbers. Not much has changed over the years nor are proper efforts taken to address the issue,” ACPN member Aida Muradyan told during the discussion on Wednesday devoted to the violence against juveniles and the need of the law on domestic violence in Armenia.

Chairwoman at ACPN Mira Antonyan said there have been no exact numbers about cases of violence against children in Armenia.

“The cases reported by police or organizations represent the incidents that had been revealed and prosecuted. Most cases go unreported to remain silent tragedies inside the family lives,” Antonyan said, adding people have failed to come to the national consensus through years over the matter of the domestic violence.

“Should the public voice against those cases? - There have been reached no consensus in Armenia over the matter with the society divided into two extreme camps,” added Antonyan.

“We often refer to the traditional model of an Armenian family, arguing the violence should remain inside the family’s life. In ancient times women gave birth at their houses yet with the evolution of medical services it would be strange today to learn a women delivering baby at home,” Antonyan drew parallels, adding the transition was not soft since the state struggled hard to suggest beneficial methods to attract women to hospitals.  

“Public is in a constant process of evolution. If we consider parents’ treatment to their children as a private matter of a given family, show no desire to intervene through administrative and supportive methods, we will be discussing this topic 100 years later. Our unwillingness to intervene and support today may have destructive effect,” Antonyan explained.