Editorial Desk

Despite frequent calls for the government and society to take action, no serious efforts have been made so far to reduce child abuse in Taiwan. As a result, mistreatment of children has been increasing steadily on the island over recent years.

That is evidenced by a report released recently by the Republic of China Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF). According to the report, a case of child abuse occurs every 32 minutes in the Taiwan area, a child dies of violence every one and a half days and, in the majority of the cases, the abuser is the cohabitant of the child's parent.

We assume those statistics are based on reports formally registered with the authorities. The fact is, the actual number of children who are victims of child abuse must be far larger. Most cases of child abuse are not reported and officially recorded.

It is necessary for those who are responsible for reducing child abuse to fully understand the nature of the issue--especially the factors and motives that contribute to the abuse of children.

Research has found that children with a history of physical abuse are at risk of developing psychiatric problems. Individuals who are abused as children are apt to become child abusers when they grow up. Also, adults who face domestic troubles are more likely to harm their children. And individuals who are in several financial difficulties are also more inclined to commit child abuse.

Specifically, circumstances that cause stress, such as financial difficulties, marital conflict, health problems and alcohol or drug abuse can easily prompt an adult to abuse a child.

Another factor is ignorance. Some parents are guilty of child abuse without knowing the harm they are doing to the youngster. There is a tendency among Chinese parents to punish their children for failing to live up to their expectations. This tendency was prevalent in former days. It is less common today but still exists in many families. Regarded as disciplinary action, the practice is often well-intentioned, but any form of violence against a child is likely to have a traumatic effect.

In many countries, child abuse constitutes a serious breach of the law and abuser can be sentenced to long prison terms. In Taiwan, such penalties are seldom imposed except in cases where severe injuries or death are caused. Our lawmakers should pass anti-child abuse legislation that provides stiffer punishments for violators.

Education is crucial in preventing child abuse. Those who are about to have children should be encouraged or required to attend classes that offer information about child care. Such classes should be made compulsory for adults known to have committed child maltreatment or neglect.

School teachers should bear the responsibility of reporting child abuse. They should inform the authorities as soon as they detect signs of abuse demonstrated by their students. And neighbors of households where child abuse has occurred should offer help and support so as to prevent the reoccurrence of similar incidents.

Taiwan's politicians, in their pursuit of power and wealth, are mostly concerned exclusively about issues that have a direct bearing on their chances of being elected. This is the major reason why many social problems are increasingly serious. We hope that political figures will show more vision and be more sensitive to problems relevant to the well-being of ordinary citizens.