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Child abuse: early detection essential

Early detection and reporting of suspected child abuse cases are essential in the fight against child abuse, the Director of Social Welfare, Mr Ian Strachan, said today (Sunday),

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Eastern/Wan Chai District Public Education Programme on Prevention of Child Abuse, Mr Strachan said awareness among the general public and sensitivity on the part of professionals working with children were fundamental to prevent and combat child abuse.

"In Hong Kong, we adopt a multi-disciplinary approach to deal with the problem of child abuse, both at a territory-wide and at district level.

"I am pleased to learn that the Eastern/Wan Chai District Committee on Child Abuse was set up in mid-1995, with the aim to promote better understanding of the child abuse problem amongst different professionals, to examine the problem on a district basis, and to effect better co-ordination in the protection for vulnerable children and better management of child abuse cases in the district," Mr Strachan said.

The event today featured a seminar on child care, an exhibition on protection of children, Child Care Information Counter and family games.

"Through this programme, all of us will appreciate more the importance of protecting our children from being abused.

"It is important that parents and children learn to understand and communicate cach other in a positive manner which would strengthen parent-child relationship rather than to mishandling, damage, neglect or abuse," he added.

The Eastern/Wan Chai District Committee on Child Abuse is one of the five district committees set up to better co-ordinate multi-disciplinary resources to tackle child abuse at a district level. The other four districts are Tai Po/North, Tuen Mun, Sham Shui Po and Kwun Tong.

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