China to beef up child protection

China will beef up its fight against violence against children by promoting a national hotline and introducing a guidance manual for community workers, a campaign organized by the All China Women's Federation and the China Office of the United Nations Children's Fund announced on Wednesday.

A community response toolkit that includes a manual on operating a hotline for calls on family violence and child protection guidelines for local governments was unveiled at the press conference in Beijing, themed, "Take Action Together — End Violence Against Children".

Neither the legal system nor the working mechanism on child protection is well developed in China, said Tan Lin, a senior official from the All China Women's Federation, in her keynote speech. The federation runs the "12338" hotline to help women and children in more than 2,800 counties and districts nationwide.

"Violence against children is often invisible and it takes several different forms, but its consequences usually last a lifetime," said Gillian Mellsop, UNICEF China representative.

"Because of its serious long-term negative consequences, possibly affecting 20 to 30 percent of children, the impact of violence goes far beyond the family. It adds substantial economic costs to society," she said.

Life skills education for minors, parenthood training and home visits by medical and social work professionals are the most effective interventions, she added.