Child abuse can be negligence, physical violence or sexual harassment. The first half of this year alone has seen more than 100 child abuse cases reported in media. It is hard to fathom that some of these abuses were committed by the parents.

Xiao Bao’s head got burnt by his father with boiling water and fire and is wrapped in gauze. The father, Luo Chaojiang, an alcoholic and a drug addict, repeatedly beats his children. [Photo/qq.com]

Zhao Caiyan, with Loudi Intermediate People's Court in Hunan province, said there are mainly three factors leading to child abuse. Some parents consider their child a burden if it suffers from a physical handicap. Parents who struggle to make ends meet are more likely to shift their anger on to their children. Plus, there are some parents who still think that physical beating will discipline their child.

In China, there are no corresponding legal provisions to protect children from such abuses. Zhao points out that the "grey zone" in law has actually given some parents the so-called "protection umbrella".

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