Spatial auto-correlation and endemicity pattern analysis of crimes against children in Tamil Nadu from 2017 to 2021

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: A child is a nation’s supreme asset and future. India homes 444 million children, aged between 0 and 18 years, contributing to 19% of the world’s children. Crime against children is detrimental to their mental and physical health and affects their growth and development. The National Crime Record Bureau recently reported that a crime targeting children happens every 4 minutes. There is a paucity of literature regarding the burden of crime against children. To understand the magnitude and spatial distribution of crime against children, a retrospective surveillance study was conducted in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, from 2017 to 2021. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional analytical type of study conducted in KIMSRC, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu. The data from the yearly crime review bulletin of Tamil Nadu from 2017 to 2021 were cleaned, transformed, and analyzed using Python v3.8 and subjected to geospatial auto-correlation and hotspot analysis using the Getis-Ord Gi* in ArcGIS Pro v3.1. The endemicity pattern was studied through cluster analysis with Hierarchical Density Based Scanning in Python and visualization in ArcGIS pro v3.1 in the study area. Results: In Tamil Nadu, only one hotspot district in 2017 [Tiruppattur (95% confidence, P < 0.05)] and one hotspot in 2020 [Villupuram (90% confidence, P < 0.1)] were identified, with others being insignificant. The districts which show very high prevalence of crimes against children are Chennai, Ranipet, Chengalpattu, Viluppuram, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Tiruppattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Karur, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Pudukkottai, Sivaganga, Tenkasi, Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli, and Kanniyakumari. Conclusion: This study identifies key areas within the state of Tamil Nadu which have a high prevalence of crimes against children and also areas that are hotspots for such crimes. Greater resources and measures can now be targeted toward these areas by stakeholders, which can help in the reduction of crimes against children.