A child participates in a sex education class by drawing a picture at a primary school in Jinan, capital of Shandong province. The class is part of a course aimed at alerting children to the dangers of sexual assault. Zheng Tao / China Daily

Reported cases rise

"Left-behind children with little knowledge are highly vulnerable to sexual abuse," said Ji Hong, who delivers lectures on childhood sexual protection at the China Children and Teenagers' Fund. "It will take a long time to change that."

One of the reasons that sexual violence perpetrated against left-behind children often goes unreported is that the victims seldom inform their guardians about attacks. Most cases that have come to light in cities and rural areas involved children whose parents live at home.

In a report conducted by the All-China Women's federation earlier this year, roughly 47 percent of rural children fell into the 'left-behind' category, and around one-third lived with their grandparents.

In recent years, the number of reported cases has risen twofold, reaching approximately 700 nationwide. A report conducted by Han last year found that most sexually abused children were aged 14 or younger.

According to experts, the paucity of sex education means that rural-dwelling girls of this age have little understanding of sexual behavior, and the advice given by their guardians or teachers rarely helps.

Pilot program

An 18-month pilot program organized by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund in Shanxi will begin in September. Students in the fourth grade or higher (aged 10 or older) from four schools will be taught basic sex education and their parents will assist with the training.

The course will be based on a framework of suggestions for the protection of vulnerable children formulated by the United Nations, but it will be adapted to the local situation, said Xu Xiaoguang, director of the China Children and Teenagers' Fund's international department. "We shouldn't hesitate to educate the entire generation to protect them from harm," said Xu.

The program will also provide counseling for children who have been subjected to violent sexual assault. The basic sex education course will include group study, games and other participation-oriented activities and schools will arrange at least one compulsory class per week. Parents will also be offered the chance to attend lectures.

Children who attend schools that are unable to provide regular teaching sessions will be visited by a mobile group of program members every couple of months. During the course, children and their guardians - either their parents or grandparents - will be given essential education on the children's well-being during their sexual development, said Shen Liping, director of the children's department at the local All-China Women's Federation in Shanxi.

But some parents, like Li Xinru's, need more help from society to help them to protect their offspring from harm.

"Migrant worker parents who live far from their children may not be able to participate in their child's development, but the guardians should keep them informed of events in their children's lives and they should ask more questions themselves," said Shen.

It has also been suggested that migrant parents at companies or factories should attend lectures organized by either their local communities or work unit, she said.

"I know how much parents need to be educated about anything relevant to their child's well-being and development," said Zhang Yingzhang, director of an online parents' group. As the father of girls aged 4 and 7, he feels it necessary to play a part in promoting the program, "Parents really need access to basic sex education."

Li, the introverted girl in the mountain village, phones her mom once a week on average. During the call, she tells her mother everything. "Children can also tell their problems to other, trusted people, not just their parents, as long as those people are caring," said Zhou.

Ji explained that some rural children attend boarding schools, where the incidence of sexual harassment can be high. "They are supposed to be the best solution for the education of left-behind children, but poor oversight and the children's lack of knowledge of their legal rights have had the opposite effect, especially in some recent cases."

Many parents are also reluctant to discuss sexual matters with their children. "Even professionals don't feel comfortable in certain seminars about sex education," said Ji. "So it can be even harder for parents to talk openly with their children about sexual behavior, especially if they don't even live in the same place as their kids."

Children left in their home villages or towns are not the only victims. Those who accompany their parent to live in the cities also suffer problems caused by a lack of proper guardianship. According to the joint survey conducted in Guangdong province, about 75 percent of sexual abuse victims are migrant children living in and around the suburban areas of Shenzhen.

"All these children living on the margins of society will become the next big cause for concern," said Shen. "We should try to deal with the problem in a thoughtful and caring way."

Contact the writer at [email protected]