Taiwan is Home to Possibly 15,469 Abused Children

The victims of the five child abuse cases this week in Taiwan were all children under two years old. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, though the number of child abuse cases have decreased in recent years, but out of 11,000 abused children last year, 11 percent were under three years old, hitting a new high in seven years.

China Times reports, according to the Ministry of the Interior, the number of abused children and adolescents in Taiwan have surged since 2006. Before then, there were less than 10,000 child abuse cases each year. But over the past eight years, an annual average of 15,469 children and teenagers live in the shadow of mistreatment.

Apple Daily reports, the Ministry of Health and Welfare analyze that most of the child abuse incidents last year were due to lack of parenting knowledge. Marriage crisis, alcoholism, drug abuse, unemployment and so on were other reasons.

Zhang Xiu-yuan from the protective services division in the ministry says under the current Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act, parenting education is only mandatory for the parents of abused children. The general public can attend related courses at family education facilities in each city, but the classes aren’t compulsory.

Liberty Times reports, Lin Wei-yan, deputy director of the protection services division, says because toddlers have not yet entered the school system, it is more difficult for the outside world to detect any unusual conditions.

Chen Li-ru, chief executive of the Child Welfare League Foundation, also believes it is hard for the outside world to watch over infants. Abused toddlers are usually found under serious circumstances because of their fragile bodies. People can only place their hopes on the strength of the community, and that it will notice such incidents as early as possible.

Translated by Olivia Yang

Sources:
Apple Daily
Liberty Times
China Times