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| Hoa Phuong Kindergarten in An Tuong ward educates young children on how to recognize issues of violence and child abuse. |
Haunted by the tragic death.
Ten days ago, the vehicle carrying the body of a 4-year-old girl stopped in front of a small house in the countryside of Tan Tao village, Bac Quang commune. Relatives and neighbors couldn't hold back their tears as they looked at the photograph of the child, so young and innocent. She could not return home after a series of days of abuse and starvation by her own mother and her mother's common-law husband while living with her mother in Hanoi .
The child's death has shocked, saddened, and angered the public. A baby who should have been hugged, comforted, and innocently laughing and crying in the arms of her family ended her life in pain in the very place that should have been safest for her.
Immediately after the child's body was brought back to the locality, representatives of the Party committee and the commune government visited and offered condolences to the family. But behind those words of condolence remained a lingering sense of guilt that was not easily overcome. If only the unusual signs had been detected earlier, if only there had been more timely intervention, perhaps such an incident would not have happened.
Ms. Do Thi Ha, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Bac Quang Commune People's Committee, shared: "The child's family circumstances are a story of a life lacking a stable foundation. The mother's childhood was a series of hardships and misfortunes. Her parents divorced early, her mother left, and her father was imprisoned and then passed away. Her mother gave birth to the child at a young age without registering the marriage. For more than a year, after going to Hanoi to work, her mother has almost lost contact with her relatives."
Even more heartbreaking, this is not an isolated incident. In a short period of time, a series of child abuse and exploitation cases have occurred nationwide, characterized by severity, cruelty, and inhumanity, leaving deep and irreparable physical and psychological wounds on children. This creates a haunting sense of unease and anguish in society and raises an alarm about the current state of child protection.
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| Due to difficult economic conditions, many children in mountainous areas grow up in deprivation, lacking both adequate care and opportunities for a full education. |
Many potential risks exist.
According to statistics from the Criminal Police Department of Tuyen Quang Provincial Police, the situation of crimes against children remains complex. From 2025 to the present, there have been 33 cases prosecuted, involving 38 defendants and 37 child victims. Specifically, rape of minors under 16 years old accounted for 23 cases with 25 child victims; sexual intercourse with minors aged 13 to under 16 occurred in 10 cases. These figures show that children are still facing many risks of harm.
Alarmingly, the majority of these incidents did not occur in unfamiliar places. As many as 16 cases of abuse took place within the victim's own home, either the perpetrator's or the victim's home. The perpetrators were mostly acquaintances, including even the victim's father, other family members, or someone with whom the victim had a romantic relationship.
This reality raises a major issue regarding the gap in family education and the responsibility of adults. Many children today live in environments lacking adequate care and attention; their parents are divorced, work far away, or are preoccupied with making a living, leaving them with insufficient time to spend with their children. Many children lack self-protection skills and someone to confide in, making them vulnerable to manipulation and abuse, yet they dare not speak up.
Conversely, some adults still lack a full understanding of their responsibility to protect children. The mentality of "keeping things private" and considering domestic violence a private matter still persists in many places. There are cases that drag on for days or months, yet no neighbors or people around report or intervene. This silence and indifference unintentionally prolongs the harm inflicted on young children.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen The Duy, Deputy Head of the Criminal Police Department of the Provincial Police, stated: “Children still face many dangers in cyberspace. Social media has become an environment for malicious individuals to approach, entice, and lure children using many sophisticated methods. A segment of young people lack management, guidance, and education on lifestyle, behavioral skills, and awareness of law compliance.”
If the "gaps" in the protection, care, and education of children are not fully identified and filled with practical solutions, the risk of childhood tragedies will continue to occur.
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| Students from Bang Lang Secondary School in Bang Lang commune are learning about gender equality issues and child protection in the online environment. |
Multi-layered prevention, proactive protection for children.
Following each incident, public opinion demands that acts of violence and abuse against children be dealt with severely to ensure the deterrent effect of the law. Because there can be no cover-up, leniency, or exceptions for cruel acts against young children.
According to Dr. Tran Quang Huy from Tan Trao University, to protect children from violence, strictly punishing violations of the law is a mandatory requirement, but not enough. More importantly, a multi-layered "barrier" must be established and proactive prevention must be implemented from the root, built on the aspects of family, school, society, and legal institutions. Along with that, there must be mechanisms for school psychological counseling, community monitoring of children, a digital "shield" to protect children in the online environment, and compassion so that children are not left in the voids of indifference and irresponsibility.
In order to ensure children's rights, strengthen the prevention and control of violence and abuse against children, and minimize harm to children, the Ministry of Health has issued document No. 3269/BYT-BMTE to the People's Committees of provinces and cities, requiring them to thoroughly understand and implement synchronously and effectively the Directives, Resolutions, Conclusions, and guiding documents of the Party, the National Assembly, and the Government on the prevention and control of violence and abuse against children.
Based on this, all levels and sectors throughout the province have actively implemented communication, counseling, and support activities for children's health care and psychological support; improving the capacity to identify and detect early cases of children at risk of violence and abuse in order to intervene promptly. Children's voices are expressed through dialogues, forums, and extracurricular activities on life skills, self-protection skills, and abuse prevention.
Ms. Mai Thi Luyet, Deputy Principal of Tien Nguyen Ethnic Boarding Primary School, shared: “In addition to teaching, the school focuses on managing, caring for, and fostering close relationships between teachers and students so that they feel comfortable sharing their problems in learning and life, as well as strengthening skills education to help them protect themselves from dangers.”
But what is most needed is responsible, coordinated, and decisive action from many sides so that a helping hand at the right time can prevent a tragedy and ensure that no more children grow up in fear, trauma, and loneliness.
Text and photos: Moc Lan
Strengthening child protection from policy to practice.
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| Comrade Nguyen Khanh Lam Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Justice |
To strengthen the protection of children's rights, especially those of children in ethnic minority areas, the Department of Justice has advised and submitted to the Provincial People's Council a draft Resolution on financial support for procedures to receive social assistance benefits for disadvantaged children. The draft is expected to be considered and approved by the Provincial People's Council at its upcoming special session, contributing to resolving bottlenecks in accessing social welfare policies for children. The Department has also compiled and distributed 155 leaflets on legal information, focusing on topics such as: preventing and combating school violence; domestic violence; provisions of the Penal Code; the harmful effects of child marriage and consanguineous marriage; and the core contents of the 2016 Law on Children. These materials are posted on the Department of Justice's website and sent to 100 agencies, units, and individuals for dissemination purposes. In addition, the sector has organized conferences, mobile propaganda sessions, and legal knowledge contests, contributing to improving the effectiveness of policy communication and awareness of law compliance in society.
Standing alongside women and children
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| Comrade Phan Thi Minh Tam Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union |
Women's associations at all levels are focusing on promoting awareness among officials, members, women, and the public about children's rights, gender equality, prevention of domestic violence, prevention of child abuse, prevention of child marriage and consanguineous marriage; and implementing activities to support knowledge and skills in parenting, childcare, and child protection...
The Association continues to maintain and expand effective models, promoting the role of core members at the grassroots level; strengthening inter-sectoral coordination in detecting, intervening in, and providing timely support to women and children at risk of violence and abuse; mobilizing social resources to care for disadvantaged individuals, contributing to building a safe and healthy living environment.
Creating a safe environment
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| Teacher Dang Thi Thuy Linh Principal of Le Quy Don Secondary School, Ha Giang 1 Ward |
Child abuse is a serious problem today, occurring not only within families but also in schools and online, severely impacting the psychology, awareness, and development of students. Therefore, the school always considers building a safe and friendly educational environment as its top priority.
Effective child protection requires close cooperation between schools, families, and local authorities. Schools maintain regular contact with parents to jointly monitor and educate students; they also coordinate with the police and local organizations in disseminating legal information, ensuring school security, and preventing risks that could affect children. When schools are safe, families are understanding, and society works together, a healthy environment is created for students to develop comprehensively in terms of knowledge, skills, and character.
"A shield" to protect children.
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| Ms. Tran Thi Nu Khuan Lam village, Yen Son commune |
Lately, I've been haunted by news reports about child abuse, often perpetrated by family members. These children are too young to understand what's happening, and even less able to protect themselves or speak up for help.
Raising children has taught me that they need love and care every day, not just material comforts. I believe that protecting children cannot rely solely on one individual or organization; first and foremost, the family must be the safest place for children. Schools also need to regularly monitor and be close to them to promptly detect any unusual behavior. In addition, the government, organizations, and the entire community must proactively work together to intervene at the right time and prevent heartbreaking tragedies from occurring. This will ensure that no more children suffer in silence within their own homes.
Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/xa-hoi/202605/vong-tay-am-cho-tre-em-3c90e15/
![[Photo] General Secretary and President To Lam presides over a working session with the Central Policy and Strategy Committee on the development of the materials industry.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/05/21/1779359935432_a3-bnd-3129-1412-jpg.webp)
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