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The challenge of Defining Child Sexual Abuse in the Developing Child Protection System in China

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International Journal on Child Maltreatment: Research, Policy and Practice Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

China is in the process of developing a comprehensive child protection system, including processes for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse (CSA). Underpinning the new system are changes in the legal provisions dealing with different aspects of CSA. A clear definition of CSA is important for developing effective policies and processes for responding to different types of sexual abuse. Drawing on legal documents, media reports and a review of empirical research on the prevalence and incidence of CSA in China, the article discusses the components of a comprehensive definition of CSA, including the nature of the incident, the characteristics of the abuser and victim and the context in which abuse takes place. The definition has to be sensitive to the legal and cultural history and context of China. The article compares the legal definition with definitions used by epidemiologists and other researchers, and then discusses the continuing gaps and challenges for the emerging system to fully protect children subject to CSA. These include the gendered nature of some provisions, challenges in defining “child” in the context of CSA and addressing the issue of “informed consent” in research and legislation.

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Notes

  1. Except where noted, the Criminal Law referred to in this paper is the Amendment (X) to the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China (revised in 2017).

  2. The crime of ‘paid sex with a girl under the age of 14’ was added in 1997, but it was controversial in practice and was abolished in the Amendment (IX) to the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China in 2015.

  3. Article 244, Article 260, Article 262, Article 301, Article 347, Article 353, Article 358, Article 364.

  4. Article 237, Article 240, Article 241, Article 242, Article 416.

  5. Article 236, Article 359.

  6. Guiding cases are similar to case precedents in western courts, see https://www.chinajusticeobserver.com/a/highlights-of-chinas-guiding-case-system-guiding-cases-similar-cases-series-1#:~:text=The%20Guiding%20Cases%20may%20further%20specify%20the%20standard,of%20new%20types%20or%20being%20difficult%20and%20complicated.

  7. https://oversea.cnki.net/index/Support/en/Introduction.html

  8. See appendix at the end of this article.

  9. One paper limited the age of child sexual abuse to under 18 years old in the definition, but in the study the age limit was 16 years old.

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Appendix one: Laws of the People’s Republic of China

Appendix two: Studies on Child Sexual Abuse Covered in this Paper

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Funding

The authors acknowledge the following support: National Social Science Fund-project title: China’s Child Welfare Development Strategy (17AZD016); Australia Research Council- project title: “Protecting Sexually Abused Children in China” (LP140100086); Right To Play (China), and Beijing Child Legal Aid and Research Centre.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

    Xiaoyuan Shang & Yawen Cui

  2. Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia

    Ilan Katz & Xiaoyuan Shang

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  1. Ilan Katz
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  2. Xiaoyuan Shang
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Correspondence to Xiaoyuan Shang.

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Katz, I., Shang, X. & Cui, Y. The challenge of Defining Child Sexual Abuse in the Developing Child Protection System in China. Int. Journal on Child Malt. 4, 401–419 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-021-00088-4

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