Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide public health problem. This project aimed to understand better how the Chinese state and civil society act to prevent, respond and help CSA victims. Findings contributed to the development of a more effective system. 

Organisations in China and Australia cooperated to: 

  • identify policy, practices and procedures that currently protect and support victims of CSA 
  • develop comprehensive social, economic and legal strategies to improve the effectiveness of services directed at preventing and responding to CSA  
  • further understanding issues in supporting Chinese CSA victims in Australia
  • better understand policy transfer from Australia to China. 

Since the commencement of this project, the Chinese government has drafted new regulations and new legal practice to deal with cases of child sexual abuse, such as the first case of removing parents’ guardianship from a girl sexually abused by her father.

Research Centre

Social Policy Research Centre

Research Area

Policy Design, Impact and Evaluation | Chinese Social Policy

  • Shang, X. 2015 Establishing an effective system of child protection: local cases, keynote paper presented in the International Conference on Integrating International Research, Policy and Practice in Developing Welfare Services, Guang Zhou, the Sun Yat-sen University, 16-17 September (Invited conference paper)
  • Shang, X.et al 2015 The Goal, Approach and Strategy: to Establish an Effective System of Child Protection, A Report to the Right To Play and UBS Foundation.
  • Shang, X. 2014 ‘Basic Institutional arrangements of Child Protection, Social Welfare, (Theory) 2014 (8)2-5, (8)2-5.
  • Shang, X. 2014 ‘Thinking about ‘baby safety island’, Social Welfare,2014 (10) p2-4.

ARC Linkage Grant

Australian Research Council, Beijing Children's Legal Aid & Research Center

Tong Lihua and Fred Wulczyn

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