The Child Welfare League Foundation said that teenagers made up about 92 percent of the missing minors cases it has dealt with over the past 10 years, with most of them having left home due to a conflict with their parents.
The foundation said in a news release that it has since 2010 handled 613 cases of missing children, of which 565 were aged 12 to 18.
Last year 5,677 teenagers were reported missing, of which 3,961, or about 70 percent, ran away from home, the foundation said, citing National Police Agency data.
The percentage of teenagers among cases of missing minors has grown significantly over the years, foundation member Hsu Ching-ling (許慶齡) said earlier this week.
The foundation said that a survey it conducted earlier this year of people who left home in their adolescence found that 84 percent of respondents cited “family factors” as their reason for leaving.
Phrases such as “do not bother coming back if you have the guts to walk out the door” and “how unaccomplished you are” were among the remarks that made respondents want to run away the most, it said.
About 30 percent of respondents said that they would not have run away had they and their family had better communication, 26 percent said that they wished their family had paid more attention to them and nearly 15 percent said that they wanted their family to respect their opinions more and not interfere too much in their lives.
Parents sometimes find teenagers hard to understand, but they should never use abusive language, say mean things or resort to physical violence when talking to their children, the foundation said.
Parents should not succumb to rage, as teenagers face unpredictable dangers or exploitation after they leave home, it said, citing the importance of communication.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
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