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Against Child Abuse (Hong Kong)Parent-Child Helpline Service

Mr. Arkin Lo Service Manager (Remedial Service)

Against Child Abuse

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Parent-Child Helpline

• Service Introduction

• Service Statistics

• Follow-up Services– Investigation– Multidisciplinary Case Conference

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Service introduction

• Service Hour: – 9:00am-9:00pm (Weekdays)– 9:00am-1:00pm (Saturdays)

• Service Target:– Public– Children and parents in need– Professionals

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• Service Goals:– Receive reporting of suspected child abuse cases through

telephone calls, emails, Facebook and drop-in to the service centres

– Provide phone counseling to children in need of emotional support and parents with child management difficulties

– Provide follow-up services, such as investigation and counseling to abused children and their families.

– Train up volunteer mentors to provide emotional support to children in need.

– Connect community social services for the children and parents in need.

– Support professionals in handling suspected child abuse cases.

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Service Statistics (Jan 12 - Jun 13)

Time of call No. of calls %

9:00am-5:00pm 1,299 74%

5:00pm-9:00pm 457 26%

Total: 1,756 100%

Time of Call:

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Source of Referral : Source of referral

No. of calls %

Child’s mother 561 32%

Public / Neighbor

556 31%

Professional 311 18%

Child’s relative / friend

136 8%

Child’s father 93 6%

Child 38 2%

Abuser 32 2%

Others 29 1%

Total: 1,756 100%

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• 40% callers were parents (mother: 32%; father: 6%; parent as suspected abuser: 2%)

• From the statistics, fathers seemed to have less motivation to seek help than mothers.

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• 18% callers were professionals (teachers, medical professionals, social workers, etc.)

• It reflects that the frontline professionals are in need of support when handling suspected child abuse cases.

• Thus, on-going training should be provided for the professionals on risk assessment, crisis intervention and multidisciplinary collaboration in case handling.

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Nature of CallNature of call No. of calls %

Suspected child abuse cases

587 33%

Child management cases

458 26%

Service enquiry/ Personal problems

643 37%

Other problems(Family violence,

extramarital affairs, etc.)

68 4%

Total: 1,756 100%

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Suspected Child Abuse Cases

Suspected child abuse cases

No. of reporting

cases%

Physical abuse 254 43%

Neglect 108 18%

Sexual abuse 88 15%Psychological

abuse 74 13%

Multiple abuse 63 11%

Total 587 100%

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• 33% of the calls were calls reporting suspected child abuse cases.

• Among these calls, 43% are related to physical abuse.

• It reflects that resorting to corporal punishment as a parenting method is still prevalent in Hong Kong.

• We urge for a total ban against corporal punishment in legislation of Hong Kong.

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Child Management Cases

Problem nature No. of calls %

Child’s emotional & behavioral problems

127 28%

Parent’s emotional problems

59 13%

Childcare management of newborn baby

55 12%

Academic issues 46 10%

Puberty issues 40 9%

Parental conflicts on parenting views

37 8%

Infant development 32 7%

In-law conflicts on parenting views

7 1%

Other problems 55 12%

Total: 458 100%

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• 26% of the calls were related to child management.

• Among these calls, 41% are related to the emotional problem of children and parents.

• It reflects that the emotional well-being of children should be addressed.

• The mental health of parents is also a concern.

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Age of Children involved:

Age of children

Suspected child abuse cases

Child management

cases

0-2 47 ( 8%) 55 (12%)

3-5 100 ( 17%) 91 (20%)

6-8 141 (24%) 94 (20%)

9-11 118 (20%) 78 (17%)

12-14 76 (13%) 54 (12%)

15-17 23 (4%) 27 (6%)

18 or above 6 (1%) 27 (6%)

No reveal 76 (13%) 32 (7%)

Total: 587 (100%) 458 (100%)

61% 57%

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• 61% of the calls reporting suspected child abuse involve children aged from 3 to 11.

• 57% of the calls with child management difficulties involve children aged from 3 to 11.

• It reflects that parents in Hong Kong have high stress when looking after children of this age range. These children may encounter adjustment difficulty after promotion to primary school, higher school or in their puberty. Parents are in need of knowledge about the child development and the skills of emotional management, especially when facing parenting and parent-child relationship difficulties.

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Follow-up Services for Suspected Child Abuse Cases

Follow-up services

No. of follow-up services

%

Direct phone contact

1,977 70%

Collateral phone contact

273 10%

Investigation 195 7%

Office interview 186 6%

Refer to community services

133 4%

Follow-up letter 52 2%

Total: 2,816 100%

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Follow-up Service for Child Management Cases

Follow-up servicesNo. of follow-up

services %

Phone counseling 209 46%

Parenting education 96 21%

Introduce to community services

69 15%

Phone follow-up 38 8%

Refer to community services

23 5%

Home visit 23 5%

Total: 458 100%

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• 46% of the calls with child management difficulties were in need of counseling and emotional support

• 21% were in need of advice on parenting.• Our social workers conducted a preliminary

assessment on the cases and provide corresponding follow-up services, such as phone counseling, home visits and referrals to community services.

• It reflects that the helpline service can provide instant support and advice to parents in need.

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Follow-up Services

– Investigation– Involvement of multidiscipline, such as

pediatricians and police– Multidisciplinary Case Conference

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Calls from helpline

Investigation: To conduct risk assessment for abused child and significant family

members

ACA follow-up services/

No follow-up needs

•Medical Examination•Police Involvement

ACA follow-up services: Case

management & counseling

services

Multidisciplinary Case Conference:Welfare plan Is formulated

Source of Referral: Child victims, neighbors, relatives, school parties, child care workers, etc.

No child abuse elements identified Child abuse

identified

Reporting Channels: helpline,drop-in, Facebook, email & fax to ACA

Chart 1: Handling Procedures on

Suspected Child Abuse Cases

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Investigation

• Service Targets: Abused children and children at potential risk of abuse.

• Service Goal: To protect children from various types of child abuse.

• Definition of Child Abuse: Any acts of commission /omission that endangers or impairs the physical /psychological health and development of a child.

• Types of Child Abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, psychological abuse and multiple abuse.

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Overall case-handling procedures

+ Initial risk assessment (helpline level)

+ Comprehensive risk assessment (Investigation level)

+ Instant removal of child from risk

+ Medical examination / treatment

+ Police prosecution (if appropriate)

+ Multidisciplinary case conference

+ Follow-up: case management and counseling services

Investigation

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Investigation procedures• Basic information gathering from the caller• Protection of caller’s confidentiality• Information gathering of the abusive incidents and abusive

history through home visits and collateral contacts• Comprehensive risk assessment• Interview child victims, suspected abusers and significant

others • Removal / safety plan for child victims and cooperative

non-abusive parents (e.g. out-of-home care) • Escort child victims to hospitals for medical examination• Liaise with police when necessary

Investigation

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• Tactfully inform parents of the possible hospitalization when escorting child victims to nearby hospitals for medical examination.

• Child victims may need to stay in hospital until welfare plan is formulated after the multidisciplinary case conference.

• Police involvement of handling uncooperative parents and severe abuse cases.

• Emphasis of multidisciplinary involvement

Medical Examination

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1. Conference held within 10 days after first interview to the child victim

2. Parties involved in the child’s family: pediatricians, psychologists, nurses, police officers, teachers, school social workers, medical social workers, social workers from governmental child protection unit and our social workers.

3. Family participation in case conference: non-abusive parent and child victim.

Multidisciplinary Case Conference

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Conference agenda:

1. Information sharing of different parties 2. Discussion of case nature3. Formulation of welfare plan for the child and the family

– Removal / safety plan for child victim– Child/Protection Order (when necessary)– Determination of follow-up agency

4. Child Protection Registry– A database with information of all child victims warranting

protection

5. Inform the parents about the collective decisions of the conference and seek their cooperation to implement the welfare plan.

Multidisciplinary Case Conference

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The END

Thank you!