LettersHong Kong child abuse reports show city failing as protector: act now before more little ones are hurt

The first level of defence is to ensure parents do not abuse their children, by training them to raise a family with love instead of violence

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Mourners take part in a candlelight memorial ceremony for five-year-old Chan Sui-lam, who died after being thrown at the ceiling and poked in the chest with scissors. Her father and stepmother were arrested for child abuse. Photo: Handout

Published: 8:24am, 1 Mar 2019Updated: 8:24am, 1 Mar 2019

I read with deep sadness the latest statistics released by the Social Welfare Department, stating that the number of newly reported cases of child abuse exceeded 1,000 in 2018, a record high since the government began tracking the statistics in 1981. Even more sadly still, parents are the main perpetrators of such horrific crimes, accounting for 64.5 per cent of the abusers, with 7.5 per cent – the second highest – being strangers.

What can we do to protect our children? Clearly, the first level of defence is to ensure parents do not abuse their children. Parenting courses would be necessary to ensure they have proper training to raise their children with love instead of violence.

Children coming from vulnerable backgrounds are more prone to experience child abuse. Our system needs to identify these high-risk parents as early as possible to ensure they and their children receive proper guidance and protection.

Catch cases early enough as a community, and teach children ways to protect themselves

Secondly, we need to ensure we catch these cases early enough through the observant and caring eyes of family members, teachers, neighbours and even just concerned strangers. Any kinds of reporting mechanisms would need to be widely promoted, understood and made use of, especially in areas where there have been more reported cases of child abuse, for example Kwun Tong and Yuen Long.

Thirdly, we need our children to learn to protect themselves, both from strangers and their trusted families, teachers and friends. This is an area of great challenge, as we need to ensure that the teachings do not compromise the natural trust children have towards people who are supposed to take care of them and protect them.

A child living in an illegal home on an industrial building’s rooftop in Kwun Tong, one of Hong Kong’s poorest districts. Photo: Dickson Lee

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} The first level of defence is to ensure parents do not abuse their children, by training them to raise a family with love instead of violence

The first level of defence is to ensure parents do not abuse their children, by training them to raise a family with love instead of violence