XN000022-1997-04-30 — Page 62

Reply:

(c)

· 41

the number of runaway children found in the past three years, and the circumstances in which they were found?

Mr President,

(a) & (c)

(b)

The Police do not keep separate statistics on the number of cases involving children running away from home. They keep statistics on missing persons only. The number of persons under 16 reported missing in the past three years were 3,099 in 1994, 3,041 in 1995 and 3,235 in 1996.

In the past three years, the number of persons under 16 missing but found were 3,005 in 1994, 2,954 in 1995 and 3,032 in 1996. Most returned home voluntarily. Others were found through Police enquiries or by the missing person's family. Details are at Annex A.

Of those found, the number who were established to be running away from home were 984 in 1994, 709 in 1995 and 540 in 1996. The reasons cited by them were family dispute, lack of parental supervision, truancy, and desire for independence. Details are at Annex B.

The Social Welfare Department and the Education Department have adopted the following measures to prevent the occurrence of such cases

Family support to help youth development

Family casework and counselling services and family life education are provided to enhance communication skills and interpersonal relationship in the family. Home-school cooperation is promoted through setting up Parent-Teacher Associations and providing parental education to enhance parent- child relationship.

For families having children with runaway history, welfare plans are worked out to improve the family relationship through a host of welfare services such as counselling, psychological services, child care services and schooling and financial assistance.