Violence common at centers for abused, delinquent kids

Violence common at centers for abused, delinquent kids
The Yomiuri Shimbun
(Nov. 27, 2010)

Japan- Sixteen percent of temporary care centers for abused children and juvenile delinquents have seen violence between residents resulting in injuries, a recent survey has found.

Abused children under 18 are sent to temporary care centers by child consultation offices to protect them from violence and other problems. They stay at the centers until they are moved to children's homes or sent back home.

A group of researchers led by Prof. Haruo Asai at Rikkyo University sent a questionnaire to 124 centers in September and received answers from 68.

Over a specified one-week period, 16 percent of the responding centers said violence by residents had caused injury to other children, and 18 percent said residents had been violent toward staff, according to the survey. Over fiscal 2009, violence against other children was reported at 35 percent of the centers and toward staff at 43 percent.

Violence was apparently more common at centers with higher populations.

"We shouldn't ignore violence at temporary care centers. These should be places where abused children feel secure," Asai said. "We should examine these centers to improve their facilities and how they treat children."

According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, temporary care centers housed about 19,000 cases of children needing shelter in fiscal 2008. Most--about 40 percent--were cases of physical abuse. The number of residents at the centers has been increasing, leading some to operate over capacity and house children for longer periods.

There are 125 such centers nationwide. Children are not supposed to stay for more than two months in principle under the Child Welfare Law, but some live at the centers for more than a year. The average stay is 28 days. They do not attend school while at a care center.

The survey results will be presented at a meeting of the Japanese Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect on Saturday.

These stories don't even make the news here in the US