WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1983
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EARLY REPORTING OF CHILD ABUSE URGED
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THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSPECTED CASES OF CHILD ABUSE BEING REPORTED
SAID THE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE CANNOT BE EMPHASISED TOO STRONGLY ACTING SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
MR BARNES WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON SELINA CHOW. SHE ASKED WHETHER CHILD ABUSE IS DEVELOPING INTO A SERIOUS SOCIAL PROBLEM, WHAT IS BEING DONE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AND WHAT ACTION IS THE GOVERNMENT TAKING TO ASSIST VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN PREVENTING AND CONTAINING THE PROBLEM.
+EVEN ONE INSTANCE OF CHILD ABUSE IS ONE TOO MANY, SAID MR BARNES, ADDING THAT THE ISSUE IS A SERIOUS SOCIAL PROBLEM. STATISTICS SHOW THAT AT SEPTEMBER 30, THIS YEAR, THERE WERE 316 ACTIVE CASES OF CHILD ABUSE, OF VARYING DEGREES OF SERIOUSNESS, KNOWN TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT - COMPARED WITH 315 AT THE SAME DATE LAST YEAR. IN 1982 THERE WERE 300 NEW CASES REPORTED, AND IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 1983, THERE WERE 205 NEW CASES,
ALTHOUGH THESE FIGURES DID NOT INDICATE ANY INCREASE IN CHILD ABUSE, HE SAID, THE ADMINISTRATION WAS CONCERNED THAT THEY MIGHT REPRESENT ONLY PART OF THE WHOLE PROBLEM. THERE IS NO WAY, REGRETTABLY, OF DISCOVERING THE FULL EXTENT OF UNREPORTED CASES.
+WHAT HAS DEVELOPED IS THE GOVERNMENT'S AWARENESS OF CHILD ABUSE, AND WITH THIS HAS COME INCREASED PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY, SAID MR BARNES.
+AS A RESULT WE CAN EXPECT AN INCREASE IN REPORTS OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE AS WELL AS GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM AND BETTER METHODS OF MONITORING AND CO-ORDINATING REPORTED CASES.
*IN THIS CONNECTION, I CANNOT EMPHASISE TOO STRONGLY THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSPECTED CASES BEING REPORTED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.+
MR BARNES DESCRIBED MONITORING PROCEDURES, WHICH INVOLVE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES. MORE SERIOUS INDIVIDUAL CASES ARE MONITORED AND HANDLED BY THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES UNIT OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHED IN JUNE THIS YEAR. AT THE END OF NOVEMBER THIS UNIT WAS DEALING WITH 102 CASES, OF WHICH 84 INVOLVED STATUTORY INTERVENTION.
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PUBLIC EDUCATION IS AN IMPORTANT PREVENTIVE MEASURE, HE SAID, AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WERE WELL PLACED TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE THROUGH FAMILY EDUCATION PROGRAMMES. GOVERNMENT GAVE SUPPORT TO SUCH ACTIVITIES.
IN THE ACTUAL HANDLING OF CASES, HE SAID, THERE WERE CLEAR PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES TO BE FOLLOWED AND VARIOUS AVENUES OPEN.
+THE ADMINISTRATION INTENDS THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE CHILD TO BE THE MAIN CONSIDERATION IN EACH CASE, MR CHING SAID.
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