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Child abuse in China: a yet‐to‐be‐acknowledged ‘social problem’ in the Chinese Mainland
Author(s) -
Qiao D. P.,
Chan Y. C.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
child and family social work
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-2206
pISSN - 1356-7500
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2005.00347.x
Subject(s) - mainland china , child abuse , government (linguistics) , china , child protection , convention on the rights of the child , social issues , social work , criminology , psychology , political science , medicine , poison control , suicide prevention , human rights , law , environmental health , linguistics , philosophy
Child abuse or child maltreatment has been a worldwide concern. In China, however, it receives scant attention from both academic communities and government. Chinese society has little awareness of child abuse as it is known in the West and there are apparently different conceptions and treatments of the problem. This paper attempts to delineate how the problem is now understood and treated in Mainland China. The reasons why child abuse has not yet been recognized as a social problem worthy of public concern in China are explored. It is argued that as a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child there is a need for the Chinese government, the academic community and professionals to reflect on their conception and treatment of child abuse so as to achieve more effective child protection for all children who are victims of child abuse.