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Child Abuse and Neglect in China: What the Papers Say

NCJ Number
166438
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 5 Issue: 5 Dated: (December 1996) Pages: 346-355
Author(s)
T Hesketh; M A Lynch
Date Published
1996
Length
10 pages
Annotation
The May and June 1996 issues of three national newspapers and the April-June issues of one local newspaper in China were analyzed to determine attitudes toward child abuse in that country.
Abstract
The analysis focused on The People's Daily, the Law Daily, the Education Daily, and the Qianjiang Wanbao. Results revealed that The People's Daily contained no stories related to child abuse or neglect. The other two national newspapers contained few stories with direct or indirect references to child abuse; these stories tended to focus on the positive actions being taken. The local newspaper had by far the most coverage of child abuse. However, few reports focused on child abuse within the family. The number of reports of child neglect following divorce was notable. Violence toward students by teachers was also prominently featured. However, by far the most reported issue was the damaging effect on children resulting from pressures for good academic performance in a highly competitive society. Overall, the reporting of issues related to child abuse represents a major advance in a country where many of these issues are still considered to be officially taboo. Case examples and 9 references