- Proposed bill would address rise in child abuse cases, but one worker at the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society says it’s not the only way to protect vulnerable kids
- Family support, emphasising child well-being and positive parenting education play crucial roles in safeguarding youth
A new bill hopes to protect children, but Hong Kong social workers say more approaches and resources are needed. Photo: ShutterstockAlthough the Hong Kong government has proposed the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Bill to address the increasing number of child abuse cases, an experienced social worker wants the public to know that the proposal is not the only solution for protecting vulnerable children.
Elvis Ng Ho-hei, senior manager of youth service at the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society, believes that family support and positive discussion also play crucial roles in safeguarding children.
Ng, who has worked with young people and schools for 20 years, suggested a different approach to the discussion surrounding child abuse. “We can reframe the conversation by adding terms like child protection, adopting a family-centric perspective, and emphasising child well-being,” the social worker said.
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In June, the government proposed a mandatory reporting mechanism requiring professional social welfare, education, and healthcare practitioners to flag suspected child abuse cases.
Ng said it wasn’t too difficult to spot cases of child abuse at school because there were certain indicators to look out for, such as physical harm to students, frequent absences, and emotional changes.
The major challenge lies in cases where the students and families refuse to cooperate or allow intervention.
“For parents who keep their children at home, refuse to have home visits or don’t pick up a call, even if we report those cases to the authorities, they can’t take action as we don’t have concrete evidence,” he said, adding that the new bill failed to address this issue.
Though the bill showed the government’s determination to protect children, Ng said he was worried it would deter students and parents from seeking help because of the consequences.
“Students might not want their abusers arrested as they might be family or someone they fell in love with, and only want to ask for medical advice ... the bill may cause some students not to seek help as they are afraid of follow-up actions and consequences,” Ng said.
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Similarly, parents who have used corporal punishment might refuse to talk to social workers.
“For [some] child abuse cases, it could be good [not to report to the authorities] when social workers find ways to support families with resources and positive parenting,” he said.
“We should look at the family’s well-being and functioning … If there is no way out, [parents] will just turn a blind eye to the bill and conceal things from social workers.”
Child abuse can also be found in institutional settings, such as schools and private tutorial centres. And ever since e-learning became prevalent during the pandemic, Ng said he has noticed a worrying rise in online child abuse.
“Children nowadays have their own electronic devices, and they may encounter strangers online who engage in inappropriate behaviour and exploit them by requesting nude photos of them,” he explained, recalling a case where a Primary Four girl posted dance videos while wearing revealing clothing on YouTube.
“There were some sexual comments on the videos, and the girl agreed to meet an unknown user over Zoom. It was lucky that she used the school account, so the teachers were able to find out and put a stop to it. It’s crucial for schools to educate students about privacy, online security, and self-protection.”
Now that the bill is under review by the Legislative Council, more residential services are needed to prepare for a possible surge in reported cases in the future, Ng said. ‘’Even today, the number of shelters, homes and hostels falls short,” he explained, adding that there needs to be more support for the emergency placement of vulnerable children.
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Aside from supplemental resources, Ng highlighted the need to enhance cross-disciplinary collaboration between social workers, medical professionals, police, and educators to address child abuse effectively.
In particular, more training and discussion should take place in the education sector.
“It could be hard for teachers to identify children at risk and the severity of the cases,” he said. “We need more communication and training with teachers for early-stage preparation and input on the bill.”
Save the Children is organising a forum targeting educators and social workers to inform them about the potential impact of the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Bill and offer suggestions to policymakers. The forum will be held on October 7 and is open to public registration. The registration link can be found here: https://kobo-ee.savethechildren.net/x/etwau1Gk