More staff and money needed to prevent child abuse -- Akahata editorial, March 11 (Abridged)

Amendments to the law concerning child abuse will be discussed in the Diet.

Efforts to prevent child abuse are broad ranging, including support for guardians' livelihoods and costs of child rearing, and action of rescuing children who actually suffer physical abuse. However, a shortage of staff for children's welfare is a major problem facing Japan today.

There are only 1,627 child welfare caseworkers nationwide. In a district of Osaka, where a junior high school boy was recently found almost starved to death, just two caseworkers had to deal with 200 cases in an area with a population of 600,000.

It is absolutely imperative to increase the number of caseworkers and the funding for child welfare services along with amendments to the current Child Abuse Prevention Law.

The Japanese Communist Party is proposing immediate measures: increase in the number of child welfare caseworkers to one for every 50,000 residents; improve the foster parent system so as to provide a family-like environment for more children; reduce the size of child welfare facilities and renovate living quarters in these facilities; provide funding for learning expenses; increase the number of temporary shelters; and increase the government subsidies to such facilities.

Experts point out that child abuse cases are found in families where parents try to reduce their tension by abusing a weaker child. The spread of nuclear families, lack of involvement with local communities, prolonged economic recessions, stress, and a highly competitive society are contributing factors.

Let's stop dismissing child abuse cases as something occurring in isolated families, and address the problem as a social issue and as a task of achieving happiness for all families. (end)