XN000022-1994-01-10 — Page 15

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MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1994

UNDER THE WORKING GROUP IS A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY FORUM IN TUEN MUN DISTRICT TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING AMONG PROFESSIONALS AND THE

COMMUNITY.

THIS DISTRICT FORUM IS SET UP ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS. SUCH FORUM WILL BE REPLICATED IN OTHER DISTRICTS SUBJECT TO THE EVALUATION OF ITS EFFECTIVENESS.

THERE IS ALSO A CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT PREVENTION PUBLICITY WORKING GROUP TO CO-ORDINATE PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES TO AROUSE PUBLIC CONCERN ON RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD AND PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.

VARIOUS MEANS WERE USED ΤΟ SPREAD THE MESSAGE. INCLUDED POSTERS, LEAFLET/PAMPHLETS, ANNOUNCEMENT IN INTEREST ON TELEVISION, RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SO ON.

THESE PUBLIC

SHE SAID THEY WERE PREPARING A PAMPHLET ON SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN WHICH WAS EXPECTED TO BE READY FOR DISTRIBUTION SOON.

THE FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES (FSC) OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGO'S) PROVIDED

SERVICES IN RELATION TO CHILD ABUSE CASES.

A SWD'S SPECIALISED UNIT, THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES UNIT (CPSU), WAS ESTABLISHED IN APRIL 1983 TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO CHILD ABUSE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES ON A TERRITORY-WIDE BASIS.

THE UNIT WORKS TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AS WELL AS PROVIDES REMEDIAL SERVICES TO VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

AS AT SEPTEMBER 30, 1993, THERE WERE 456 ACTIVE CHILD ABUSE CASES. OF WHICH, 75.2 PER CENT (THAT IS 343 CASES) WERE HANDLED BY CPSU. 11.8 PER CENT (THAT IS 54 CASES) WERE CLASSIFIED AS SEXUAL ABUSE AND 42 OF THEM WERE HANDLED BY CPSU.

THERE IS MARKED INCREASE OF 6.8 PER CENT IN THE NUMBER OF SEXUAL ABUSE CASES AS COMPARED TO THE 32 CASES AS AT SEPTEMBER 30, 1992.

PUBLIC'S AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM AND READINESS TO REPORT SUCH CASES MIGHT BE A CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR то SUCH AN INCREASE, SHE EXPLAINED.

LEGAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN FROM ABUSE IS LAID DOWN IN THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND JUVENILES ORDINANCE CHAPTER 213 (PCJO), AN AMENDMENT TO THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND JUVENILES ORDINANCE CHAPTER 213, WHICH HAS BEEN PUT INTO EFFECT IN NOVEMBER 1993.

THE PCJO WIDENS THE PROTECTION NET FOR CHILDREN AND JUVENILES.

THE INCLUSION OF CHILD ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE ENABLES A CHILD ΤΟ BE ASSESSED WITHOUT BEING ABRUPTLY REMOVED FROM HOME AND BE SEPARATED FROM HIS FAMILY.

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