Hong Kong child protection group logs 187 suspected abuse cases for 2022-23 and 8.5% year-on-year increase in calls to hotline

Against Child Abuse on Thursday revealed that the calls included 187 cases of suspected child abuse, with around half of them involving physical violence.

Donna Wong Chui-ling, the group’s director, said the increase in the number of hotline calls was in line with a rise in child abuse cases logged by the Social Welfare Department last year.

“The possible reason behind the rising trend of the number of complaints could be that there are more severe child abuse cases, or even related deaths, being revealed to the public in recent years,” she said.

“It may have raised the awareness of the public and family members in protecting children.”

Wong also singled out increased pressure on children and parents as they had to adopt different ways of learning, a changed environment and the need for socialisation after almost three years of coronavirus restrictions.

Almost half – 45 per cent – of the 2022 cases involved physical harm and 19 per cent were related to neglect.

The number of hotline complaints and enquiries received by Against Child Abuse has ranged from 1,100 to 1,300 over the past six years.

The organisation found that 16 per cent of the 187 suspected child harm cases involved psychological abuse and 11 per cent were multiple abuse in 2022-23.

Sex abuse accounted for 9 per cent of cases and neglect for 8 per cent.

There were 222 children and 206 abusers involved in these cases. Around 25 per cent of suspected child abuse victims were those aged six to eight, who became the most affected age group, followed by children at the age of nine to 11, and those who are three to five years old.

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Nearly 70 per cent of abusers, 142 people, were family members of the victims. These included 66 mothers and 42 fathers.

Wong said many parents might think corporal punishment would discipline children, and start with mild punishments such as hitting with the palm of the hand.

But she warned physical punishment, once started, could worsen.

“These mild corporal punishments can escalate into violence at any time and become physical abuse,” she said.

“They are not effective ways of teaching children and can even cause harm or death.”

“It will also damage parent-child relationships and even teach the children to solve problems with violence,” Wong warned.

“Many studies have shown that these children might adopt the same punishments for their own offspring as they grew older.”

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Wong said psychological abuse was easier to dismiss than physical attacks as the damage might take time to show up.

She added the Social Welfare Department defined psychological abuse as behaviour that affected a child’s mental health, including seeing family violence or being threatened with weapons.

“These events can also be repetitive behaviours such as yelling or being treated in a cold manner,” Wong said. “These long-term behaviours may make children feel worthless, unloved and useless.”

The group said clear legislation on child psychological abuse should also be introduced to improve public knowledge of the problem.

Against Child Abuse also appealed to the Legislative Council to push on and enact the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Bill so that specific professionals such as teachers, social workers and doctors would be required to report suspected child abuse to authorities or face fines or imprisonment.

The group also backed a ban on corporal punishment, as well as provision of comprehensive sex education lessons in schools in a bid to prevent internet sex crimes and child sex abuse.