Child protection specialists gave the level of child safety in the nation a narrow pass, but rated playground safety the biggest concern for parents, according to a survey published by the Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation on Child Safety Day yesterday.
The survey was conducted among 2,242 elementary-school students, their parents and social workers last month through the middle of this month and was released at a press conference held by the foundation in Taipei yesterday.
Respondents who identified themselves as parents scored the nation’s overall level of child safety at 83.19 points, compared with 68.51 points given by respondents who said they were child protection experts, the survey showed.
However, all of the groups gave playground safety the lowest score.
A further breakdown of the survey showed that nearly 68 percent of the parents take their child to an indoor playground at least once a month, which costs them between NT$100 and NT$1,000.
Approximately 10 percent of the children have been injured in a playground, with the three most common types of injuries being bruises (27 percent), injuries after tripping (21.6 percent) and head wounds (18.8 percent).
The survey found that only 20 percent of playground operators have sought to improve the conditions of their facilities after accidents occur.
A mother surnamed Chiu (邱) recounted a mishap at the press conference to raise public awareness of the issue.
“About a year ago, I took my kids to an indoor recreational park that was on the second and third floors of a building. When we were taking the stairs to the third floor, I slipped, hit my head and lost consciousness,” Chiu said.
Chiu said she felt nauseous and began vomiting shortly after she returned home and was later diagnosed with concussion.
“If even a grown-up like myself could get hurt in there, there is no doubt that a child faces a much higher risk of injury,” Chiu said.
Foundation chief executive Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) said the rapid increase in the number of child recreational centers in recent years had been accompanied by growing concerns about safety.
“That is attributable to three problems — the absence of a competent authority to oversee such establishments, the lack of laws regulating the safety of equipment and the large number of unsafe facilities,” Chiu said.
Chiu urged parents to choose wisely when looking for a place to take their children, while calling on the government to make every effort to ensure a safe and secure environment for future generations.
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