Violence Against Children in China

Violence Against Children in China

Children in China often face a plethora of issues. The culture there is conducive of violence against children as a form of punishment. Many people in China believe that physical or psychological abuse is necessary to help their children mature and learn responsibility. However, many of these acts are in violation of human rights in general and especially the declaration of human rights for children. There are other issues that Chinese children must also face such as the lack of an adequate education. Some children, especially in rural areas, are being forced to quit school and work on their families' farms or in factories. Some children are even being sold as slaves to perform manual labor on the black market. Although every country has their own issues with the treatment of children, in China the problem is salient and more prevalent than in other parts of the world. Some of these conditions can be attributed to the culture while others have to do with the economic conditions and the poverty that rural Chinese families face. This analysis will look at some of the issues of violence and neglect that are present in China today.

Background/History

There are many forms of violence that can be perpetrated against children. Violence against children encompasses physical, emotional, psychological and sexual mistreatment, as well as neglect; globally, as well as in China, this problem often remains hidden because families tend to view violence against children as a "private issue. (Unicef)." Because in China the treatment of children is often considered a family affair, most cases of abuse go unreported. The occurrences of child abuse are widespread but only the most serious cases ever get reported. "The embarrassing situation is that, only when the victim is badly hurt or killed could the perpetrator of the violence be criminally prosecuted," said Tong Lihua, director of a Beijing-based child protection advocacy group. "Right now, we lack a mechanism for protecting children from violence by their parents. (Jiali)"

Figure 1 - Zhengyin - a Chinese Child with over 100 Knife Wounds (Jiali)

The physical abuse is an obvious problem as well as a violation of human rights. However, there are more subtle issues that are also present that are even more common. Chinese parents can be so strict with their children that it borders on abuse; if not crosses the line altogether. "In the Chinese culture we believe in very strict, disciplined parenting," Grace Ho a doctoral candidate at John Hopkins explains the cultural differences as "We really want to foster obedience and harmony, emotional restraint, respect. But looking at Western literature, the focuses are parental warmth, independence. So it's very different. (Intlekofter)" Therefore, even though the Chinese culture embraces strict disciplinary measures, there is a fine line that definitely boarders abuse and this represents one of the most debatable issues in the raising of children in the Eastern and Western cultures.

The Rights of Children

Nearly 25 years ago, a declaration and an organized body made the world made a promise to children: that we would do everything in our power to protect and promote their rights to survive and thrive, to learn and grow, to make their voices heard and to reach their full potential; this year, as we approach the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), there is much to celebrate: from declining infant mortality, to rising school enrolment, to better opportunities for girls (UNICEF). This organization has performed many miraculous acts to better the quality of life around the world; yet there is obviously much work left to do.

The original adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child was first established in 1989 and then later enacted 1990. Although the Declaration of Human Rights is a document that applies to children and all other individuals as well, a special ratification was directed because children are more vulnerable and require special consideration until they reach their adulthood. The document states this in this wording (United Nations):

Bearing in mind that the need to extend particular care to the child has been stated in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924 and in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted by the General Assembly on 20 November 1959 and recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (in particular in articles 23 and 24), in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (in particular in article 10) and in the statutes and relevant instruments of specialized agencies and international organizations concerned with the welfare of children.

Thus under the leadership of the United Nations, many different groups have joined forces to improve the quality of lives of children around the world.

Opposing Arguments

Many people have defended the Chinese culture and the right of the parent's to raise their children as they wish. Although there are few that promote extreme physical punishment, there are mainstream authors that have promoted the benefits of the strict environment children are raised in countries like China. The most popular author is Amy Chua, the Chinese-American "Tiger Mom" who infamously wrote a how-to guide to child-rearing advising parents to threaten to burn their kids' stuffed animals if their homework wasn't perfect (Garvin). Arguments such as these suggest that parents must be extraordinarily tough to encourage their children to do their absolute best.

Rebuttal

The advice given by Chua and others that believe in the similar ways of raising children has been shown to be ineffective in many studies. One such study in the Asian-American Journal of Psychology shows that the opposite is rather the case (Pedro):

'Tiger parenting, which owes its existence to the belief that "academic achievement reflects successful parenting" (Chua, 2011), ironically does not result in the best educational attainment or the best academic achievement; instead, it results in children experiencing a level of academic pressure that is as high as that associated with harsh parenting. It is actually supportive parenting, not tiger parenting, which is associated with the best developmental outcomes: low academic pressure, high GPA, high educational attainment, low depressive symptoms, low parent -- child alienation, and high family obligation.'