HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Labour,Invalids and Social Affairs plans to submit a report to the municipal People’sCommittee on the best ways to protect children and help them live in a safe,healthy and inclusive environment.

Dang Hoa Nam, director of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’Department of Child Care and Protection, said the focus would be on protectingtwo million children under 16 years old, 550,000 children under six years old,400 children with disabilities, 100 orphans, and thousands of disadvantagedchildren, as well as children who receive allowances in HCM City under officialsocial assistance policies.

Nam spoke at a dialogue on child care and protection on October 3 held by thecity’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Save the Childrenin Vietnam.

Participants discussed the roles and responsibilities of local government,police, family, media, and social organisations in child care and protection.

Tran Ngoc Son, vice director of the city’s Department of Labour, Invalids andSocial Affairs, welcomed ideas from participants on how to protect vulnerablechildren at high risk of child abuse, including street children, orphans,children from poor and near-poor families, and children working and living awayfrom their family.

“Abuse cases impair children’s development and seriously affect their physicaland mental health, as well as their dignity,” he said.

The city has about 1.9 million children, or more than 22 percent of thepopulation of nearly 10 million.

Recent research shows that many adults in the city are not aware of the severeconsequences, both short- and long-term, of child abuse.

Improving awareness about children’s rights and child protection is criticallyimportant, said Son.

Many parents believe that males and females have different social roles andtasks, and that the use of physical punishment by schools or parents is justified.

Parents often blame their children when the latter are sexually harassed or assaulted.

In addition, forms of harassment and violence against children are oftenhandled by different government agencies.

For example, responsibility for domestic violence is managed by the Ministry ofCulture, Sports and Tourism, while human trafficking victims are covered by theMinistry of Public Security.

Child marriages are overseen by the Ministry of Health’s General Department ofPopulation and Family Planning, while child sex abuse cases are under theMinistry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Another problem facing the city is the lack of periodic data collection aboutthe progress of interventions to prevent child abuse.

In addition, documentation of cases related to child abuse, sexual violence andharassment remains insufficient, according to the city’s Department of Labour,Invalids and Social Affairs.

Nam also emphasised the media’s role and responsibility in the fight againstchild abuse.

Recently, media reports have included information about child abuse, kidnappingand murder cases, causing psychological pain and anxiety for families andconcern among the public.

Many cases of wrongdoing and fraud, including disclosure of private information,have occurred via social media.

“Information that indicates that child abuse has occurred is often not beingreported to authorities,” Nam said.

Nam said that violations of the law on protection and care of children must bemore strictly enforced.-VNS/VNA