Heightened awareness is key to eradicating mistreatment

In the aftermath of recent allegations about the mistreatment of children in kindergartens, experts and insiders have called for severe punishments for offenders and better public awareness to promote a zero-tolerance approach to the physical abuse of children.

“Our society has not yet formed such a consensus because child abuse is translated differently by different people,” said Tong Xiaojun, professor and director of the Center of Early Childhood Education at the China Youth University of Political Studies, in an interview with thepaper.cn.

According to Tong, because early childhood education is a relatively new concept in China, parents — who have grown up with the tradition that spanking is justified as “good parenting” — often fail to understand what constitutes child abuse and how it can be avoided.

Li Duoyu, a well-known social commentator, agreed. “Personally, I have always wondered if these accused teachers were also mistreated during adolescence,” she said.

In a video circulated online, one of the people accused of harming children at a daycare center in Shanghai is seen kneeling down and shaking as she begs forgiveness from the children’s parents.

Ma Yujia, 26, a Shanghai native who spent a year working in a preschool institution in New Zealand, feels the biggest difference in childcare between China and New Zealand is the level of public awareness.

“In New Zealand, people take a hard line on child abuse,” Ma said.

“Parents can even be arrested if they spank their kids in the supermarket. Public awareness of the issue is so high that no one, not even parents, dares to cross the line.”

Many experts, including Tong, regard that attitude as an example China should follow.

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, Tang Xiaotian, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Law Society, suggested creating a blacklist for offenders, both individuals and organizations, to prevent corruption or dereliction of duty.

Many observers said that it is essential to educate the public about the protection of children in kindergartens.

Tong urged the immediate inclusion of relevant information in early childhood education courses at all universities and vocational schools.

“We need to be clear about what constitutes mistreatment of children and what kinds of acts are completely intolerable,” Tong said.

“Once such a consensus is in place, there will be no room for child abuse in our society.”