Cases of infant abuse have increased 1.2-fold over the past five years, with more than 2,000 being subject to abuse every year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said in a report yesterday.
Department of Protective Services Director-General Chang Hsiu-yuan (張秀鴛) said that the rise in reported cases was due to increased alertness among the public.
More than 93 percent of reported incidents occur within the home, with 84 percent of those responsible being the parents, Chang said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
Forty-nine percent of cases involved physical abuse such as slapping, while 44 percent were neglect, such as leaving an infant alone or failure to pay attention to their health, she said.
Fifty-two percent of parents report losing their temper and resorting to abuse due to everyday incidents such as eating habits, non-sleeping, messy toys, fights between siblings, diaper changes and tardiness, the report said.
Eighteen percent of parents complained about constant crying, while 15 percent showed an apparent lack of knowledge regarding child-rearing basics, such as not leaving infants alone, Chang said.
Pediatrician Chen Mu-jung (陳木榮) said he had seen young parents leave a three-month-old crying on the sofa all night because the wife was mad at the husband.
People need to be mentally prepared to be parents, because they will face new challenges, Chen said.
Taiwan Developmentally Appropriate Practices College deputy secretary-general Yang Pei-lian (楊珮璉) said that first-time mothers are often confused about whether they are doing things right as they struggle to manage a baby who cries regardless of their actions.
Others feel as if they are nothing but a tool to placate the baby, while their attempts to seek help from parents or in-laws are met with statements such as: “Child-rearing is a difficult process,” Yang said.
As long as a child’s sleep and food needs are met, they will gain a sense of security and safety from a regular schedule, she said, adding that this tells the child that the parent will take care of them and they do not have to cry to get attention.
Parents should not watch videos made by celebrities or online personalities that make child-raising seem simple, as they would only make the parent more anxious, she said.
Child-raising advice differs from generation to generation, so some advice from previous generations should not be heeded, Yang said, adding that parents should not recriminate themselves, should focus on their child’s needs and should listen to positive feedback.
ENTERTAINERS IN CHINA: Taiwanese generally back the government being firm on infiltration and ‘united front’ work,’ the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association said Most people support the government probing Taiwanese entertainers for allegedly “amplifying” the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda, a survey conducted by the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association showed on Friday. Public support stood at 56.4 percent for action by the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of Culture to enhance scrutiny on Taiwanese performers and artists who have developed careers in China while allegedly adhering to the narrative of Beijing’s propaganda that denigrates or harms Taiwanese sovereignty, the poll showed. Thirty-three percent did not support the action, it showed. The poll showed that 51.5 percent of respondents supported the government’s investigation into Taiwanese who have
South Korean K-pop girl group Blackpink are to make Kaohsiung the first stop on their Asia tour when they perform at Kaohsiung National Stadium on Oct. 18 and 19, the event organizer said yesterday. The upcoming performances will also make Blackpink the first girl group ever to perform twice at the stadium. It will be the group’s third visit to Taiwan to stage a concert. The last time Blackpink held a concert in the city was in March 2023. Their first concert in Taiwan was on March 3, 2019, at NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena). The group’s 2022-2023 “Born Pink” tour set a
A Philippine official has denied allegations of mistreatment of crew members during Philippine authorities’ boarding of a Taiwanese fishing vessel on Monday. Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) spokesman Nazario Briguera on Friday said that BFAR law enforcement officers “observed the proper boarding protocols” when they boarded the Taiwanese vessel Sheng Yu Feng (昇漁豐號) and towed it to Basco Port in the Philippines. Briguera’s comments came a day after the Taiwanese captain of the Sheng Yu Feng, Chen Tsung-tun (陳宗頓), held a news conference in Pingtung County and accused the Philippine authorities of mistreatment during the boarding of
88.2 PERCENT INCREASE: The variants driving the current outbreak are not causing more severe symptoms, but are ‘more contagious’ than previous variants, an expert said Number of COVID-19 cases in the nation is surging, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describing the ongoing wave of infections as “rapid and intense,” and projecting that the outbreak would continue through the end of July. A total of 19,097 outpatient and emergency visits related to COVID-19 were reported from May 11 to Saturday last week, an 88.2 percent increase from the previous week’s 10,149 visits, CDC data showed. The nearly 90 percent surge in case numbers also marks the sixth consecutive weekly increase, although the total remains below the 23,778 recorded during the same period last year,