Third of children disciplined by helpers, Net survey claims

About one in three children said they had been punished by their domestic helper at home, a survey released yesterday showed.

The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association said some 310 children had answered a questionnaire on its Web site since May 4 with 38 per cent claiming they had been disciplined by their maids.

Some 12 per cent said the process involved corporal punishment, while others did not specify. The survey also found 12 per cent of the children said they were not getting along well with their maids, and 25 per cent complained their maids were biased towards their brothers and sisters.

The association said the findings may not represent the true picture as they had been unscientifically collected. But it appealed to parents to talk to their children and see if they were happy with their maids.

Concern over the relationship between domestic helpers and their employers was raised last month after a couple found a maid had ill-treated their son.

The process was videotaped by a hidden camera. The maid was charged, pleaded guilty and was jailed for two months.