Childhood Talent Is a Proof of Abuse

This essay affirms that true talent thrives only when a child’s well-being, joy, and freedom come first. It shows that parents can nurture genuine, lasting abilities without pressure, fear, or exploitation—and that such support creates confident, balanced, and self-driven individuals. For parents who wish to raise children who love what they do and grow into healthy, fulfilled adults, this is an essential study that offers the clarity, courage, and guidance to make talent a blessing for life.

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A child is meant to play, rest, learn slowly, and feel safe.

When a child is turned into “talent,” adults are using the child. That is abuse—pressure, control, extraction of effort, and removal of childhood—done for the benefit of parents, relatives, teachers, society, and government.

This is not theory. It is visible across India, decade after decade.

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I. Real examples that show the pattern

1. Elite campuses and coaching hubs: celebrated “talent,” repeated deaths

IIT system: At least 115 IIT students died by suicide between 2005 and 2024; IIT-Madras reported the highest count (26), followed by IIT-Kanpur (18), IIT-Kharagpur (13), IIT-Bombay (10). These figures came from RTI data compiled across IITs.

Last five academic years: 37 suicides at 11 of 23 IITs (2019–2024), as disclosed under RTI.

IIT-Kharagpur’s response tells its own story: the institute recently moved to replace hostel ceiling fans after four suicides in seven months—an environmental “means restriction” step that acknowledges a persistent problem.

Kota coaching hub (JEE/NEET): 2023 was the highest ever—26 student suicides in one city known for “producing toppers.” The pressure is public, the results are public, the deaths are public.

National picture: Student suicides in India are large and rising; NCRB-based analyses show 13,000+ student suicides a year and long-term growth.

What this proves: The more a system chases extraordinary “talent” at a young age, the more it normalizes pressure severe enough to kill. You do not see this scale or publicity in small rural colleges because the pressure machine there is weaker, less organized, and less visible—while elite labels and mass coaching make early performance the child’s identity.

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2. Entertainment industry: child performers, “innocence” packaged as product

India’s child-rights body NCPCR issued national guidelines for children in TV/OTT/ads because of real risks of exploitation and mental harm. The guidelines explicitly flag anxiety, unsafe conditions, and lack of control over earnings—proof that the State recognizes harm around “talent.”

The same guidelines require a child psychologist on reality-show sets—another acknowledgment that the setup itself harms children without safeguards.

Senior artists have called out kids’ reality shows as exploitative; even mainstream coverage records allegations of physical and mental abuse in production environments.

What this proves: When a child “performs” for adult markets, regulators themselves say the environment is risky enough to need special rules, therapy support, and supervision. That is not nurture; that is harm control around an abusive structure.

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3. Sports pipelines: medals first, children last

Junior cricket: Age-fraud scandals keep surfacing because adults push children to be “younger” to fit elite brackets—parents, coaches, and administrators collude. Even Rahul Dravid has publicly criticized this culture. The BCCI is now hiring external investigators to fight pervasive age fraud. Pressure to produce “young talent” drives the cheating.

Recent abuse case: A minor national-level boxer alleged sexual harassment and sustained mental and physical abuse at a national academy; police registered an FIR.

Global mirror: The largest sports-abuse scandal (USA Gymnastics/Larry Nassar) was enabled by a “medals over morals” culture that silenced children for years—showing how the “early talent” industry breeds systemic abuse.

What this proves: Elite sports structures prize results from minors. The routine bending of rules (age fraud) and repeated abuse allegations exist because adults benefit from the child’s early peak.

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II. How adults benefit from forced childhood talent

Every layer of society takes something from the child’s early skill. The child pays the cost.

1. Parents: Pride, Status, and Control

How they push:

Enrolling the child in endless classes before they can speak clearly.

Comparing them with other children and shaming them when they “fall behind.”

Making the child’s worth depend on performance, not love.

What they gain:

Social respect: “Look how brilliant my child is.”

A tool to outshine relatives and neighbours.

A false sense of being good parents without giving real emotional care.

Hidden cost to the child:

Fear of losing love if they fail.

Anxiety that never switches off.

No memory of a carefree childhood.

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2. Relatives: Bragging Rights and Family Image

How they push:

Demanding the child perform at weddings, family gatherings, and festivals.

Using the child’s skill as proof of “good blood” or “family success.”

Offering constant comparisons to cousins and siblings.

What they gain:

Pride by association without doing any real work.

Gossip material to maintain their place in family hierarchy.

A shield to hide their own failures: “Our family produces winners.”

Hidden cost to the child:

Feeling like a family trophy instead of a person.

No safe space to rest without being judged.

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3. Teachers: Awards and Reputation

How they push:

Picking the most talented children to represent the school in competitions.

Giving special attention only to winners, ignoring average learners.

Loading the child with extra practice hours without concern for health.

What they gain:

Promotions and recognition for producing “top students.”

A better school image to attract more admissions.

Access to prize money, certificates, and media coverage.

Hidden cost to the child:

Becoming a public performer, not a private learner.

Living with the pressure that one bad day will shame the school.

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4. Society: Entertainment and Role Models

How they push:

Celebrating young achievers as “national treasures” without asking about their personal lives.

Using them to inspire other children to work harder, earlier, faster.

Expecting them to always be grateful for the attention.

What they gain:

Stories to distract from real social issues.

Ready-made “success” examples to justify high pressure on all children.

Emotional satisfaction without responsibility.

Hidden cost to the child:

Being trapped in a public identity they cannot escape.

No right to grow up slowly or change paths.

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5. Government: Numbers, Image, and Control

How they push:

Showcasing young talent in official events, sports meets, and cultural programs.

Using child prodigies as proof of a “strong education system.”

Promoting early achievement to raise national rankings and statistics.

What they gain:

Positive headlines at home and abroad.

A way to claim progress without addressing real education inequality.

Control over the narrative: “We produce the best from a young age.”

Hidden cost to the child:

Becoming a symbol rather than a citizen.

Carrying the burden of representing an entire country.

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III. The core truth

When a child’s gift is forced into the world too soon, it is not a celebration. It is a transaction.

The child is used by every layer of the adult world.

The applause hides the pressure.

The medals hide the exhaustion.

The smiles hide the control.

A free child learns slowly, fails often, and finds joy in the process.

A forced child performs perfectly, fears mistakes, and learns to please before they learn to live.

Childhood talent, when unnatural and early, is not proof of genius.

It is proof of abuse — packaged as success for the benefit of everyone but the child.

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References

1. RTI data on student suicides in IITs, 2005–2024 – The Hindu, India Today, Hindustan Times.

2. NCRB “Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India” annual reports (ADSI), 2012–2023.

3. NCPCR Guidelines for Child Participation in the Entertainment Industry, 2022.

4. Coverage on reality show child exploitation – The Indian Express, BBC News, Scroll.in.

5. BCCI age fraud and youth sports controversies – ESPNcricinfo, The Hindu.

6. Minor national-level boxer abuse case – The Hindu, The Indian Express.

7. Kota student suicide statistics – NDTV, The Hindu, Times of India.

8. Global sports abuse example: USA Gymnastics/Larry Nassar – The New York Times, BBC News.

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