Editorial | A deeper solution to child abuse lies in breaking vicious cycles

A landmark study shows how childhood trauma could shape parenting styles. A mindset change is needed to protect children from harm

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Posters promote the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance along a footbridge in Admiralty on January 20. Photo: Jelly Tse

Published: 7:15am, 1 Mar 2026

Child protection has been strengthened after a new law mandating welfare, education and medical professionals to report suspected abuse came into effect in Hong Kong last month. Welcome as it is, the additional safeguard only helps identify cases for early intervention. For child abuse cases to be kept to a minimum, the problem needs to be tackled at the root.

One way is to better understand why some parents still resort to force and other forms of abuse in child-rearing. The issue was put into perspective in a recent South China Morning Post report on parents who suffered physical and emotional abuse in childhood. Some are still living in the shadow of their past and struggle to break the cycle when raising their children. One case involved a mother who, haunted by her parents using hangers and belts to physically punish her, sought professional help in managing her emotions.

The problem of intergenerational violence has also been highlighted in a landmark study showing how childhood trauma can shape parenting styles. According to the report by the University of Hong Kong and the NGO Harmony House, more than 53 per cent of local adults have experienced at least one of 10 types of adverse childhood experiences – a figure substantially higher than the global average of 38 per cent. Notably, about one-third of survivors who have children reported repeating those violent or neglectful patterns in their own parenting.

The high percentage was attributed to deeply ingrained patriarchal norms and Confucian values, such as filial piety, in Chinese societies in which children are raised to obey their parents. Verbal abuse and other forms of violence are often normalised and go unchallenged as parental discipline and internal family affairs.

Stories of parents who were beaten or humiliated as children and are now struggling not to repeat those patterns underline how powerful that legacy remains. Like it or not, the notion of “spare the rod and spoil the child” is still deeply rooted among some parents, with physical punishment being carried out in the name of discipline. There is still a belief that harshness and suffering build character and children therefore should learn to endure and grow up in the same way that their parents did.

Such a vicious cycle must not be allowed to continue as awareness and safeguards for child protection are enhanced in modern society. Experts have called for measures to help break the pattern, including screening mechanisms to identify high-risk families for early intervention and a shift in how violent behaviour is understood across professions. A change to the old-school parenting mindset would also help as the city strives to better protect children from abuse.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Editorial | A deeper solution to child abuse lies in breaking vicious cycles

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}A landmark study shows how childhood trauma could shape parenting styles. A mindset change is needed to protect children from harm

Editorial | A deeper solution to child abuse lies in breaking vicious cycles

A landmark study shows how childhood trauma could shape parenting styles. A mindset change is needed to protect children from harm