XN000022-1987-06-06 — Page 7

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PARENTS' ROLE UNDERLINED

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 1987

AND BASIC SCHOOL FOR DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL

THE FAMILY IS THE CHILD'S BEST SHELTER

THE ACTING ROSE GOODSTADT, LIFE, MRS WELFARE, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

GOODSTADT SAID THE TO BE SMOTHERED

IN

OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE "LOVE OUR CHILDREN 1987 CHILDREN'S MONTH" ORGANISED BY CARITAS, MRS FAMILY HAD TO BE NURTURED IF WE DID NOT WANT IT PERSONAL AND LARGELY MATERIAL AMBITIONS.

KONG SHE NOTED THAT THE HONG

FAMILY WAS UNDER CONSIDERABLE

WORK PROFESSION, PRESSURE AND DESPITE THE BEST EFFORTS OF THE SOCIAL

A STRAIN THE DRIVE TO ACHIEVE PERSONAL SUCCESS MIGHT PROVE TOO GREAT FOR MANY HOMES.

IN BOTH THE THE LAST

CITING THE UPWARD TREND

DIVORCE RATE AND THE

SHE DECADE,

SAID AMOUNT OF JUVENILE CRIMES OVER

IT WAS WORRYING BECAUSE THE STATISTICS ONLY REPRESENTED EXTREME CASES.

IN 1976

THE DIVORCE RATE PER THOUSAND MARRIED COUPLES WAS 0.9 AND ROSE TO 3.6 IN 1986. THE RATE OF JUVENILE CRIMES ROSE FROM 2.1 PER THOUSAND TO 7.9 OVER THE SAME PERIOD.

IN WHICH THE "BEHIND THESE LEGAL STATISTICS LIE THE FAMILIES QUALITY OF MARRIAGE HAS DETERIORATED AND THE YOUNGSTERS WHO HAVE ANTI-

STAY OUT OF

WITH TROUBLE SOCAIL ATTITUDES BUT

THE POLICE, MRS

GOODSTADT SAID.

THAN FEWER BE BLAMED TO HANDLE ITS

TREND TOWARDS MORE RATHER SHE ARGUED THAT THIS SOCIAL PROBLEMS AS WE HAD BECOME MORE PROSPEROUS COULD NOT ON THE OUTSIDE WORLD BECAUSE HONG KONG SHOULD BE ABLE OWN PROBLEMS.

NEITHER COULD IT BE BLAMED ON THE SOCIAL SERVICES t

THAT

SHE SAID.

CAMPAIGNS LIKE THE

SERVICES VOLUNTARY FAMILY

DO "WHILE CERTAINLY WE COULD ALWAYS

WITH MORE RESOURCES IN THROUGH THE FAMILY THIS FIELD, WE HAVE TO RECOGNISE CENTRES OPERATED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL AGENCIES SUCH AS CARITAS, PLUS SUSTAINED LIFE EDUCATION PROGRAMME, WE HAVE DONE A GREAT FAMILY," SHE SAID.

DEAL TO PROTECT THE

"THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY HAS SOME 24,000 36,000 FAMILY CASES. OVER THE LAST YEAR, ITS CASEWORKERS HANDLED OVER FAMILY PROBLEMS.

"THE CONTRIBUTION BY THE EIGHT FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, INCLUDING CARITAS, HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIAL, ALMOST 8,000 FAMILY CASES, SHE ADDED.

RUN BY HANDLING

COMPLEX AND SHE POINTED OUT THAT FAMILY PROBLEMS WERE USUALLY

TO PROFESSIONALS WHO TEND

REQUIRE ABSORBED CONSIDERABLE TIME FROM MORE EXPERIENCE AND MATURITY TO TACKLE THE TOUGHER CASES.

"THE COST