A seminar held by the Health Ministry, the Central Pediatrics Hospital and the Melbourne Royal Hospital for Children on December 2 announced research on maltreatment of children in Vietnam.

This boy was chained to an electric pole on the street by his father. This maltreatment case was reported by local newspapers early this year.

According to research conducted with 2,600 students of secondary and high schools in Hai Duong, Hanoi and first-year students at the Medical University in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, around 30 percent being neglected by their families, 34-47 percent are maltreated physically and around 20 percent have suffered sexual abuse.

Physical chastisement has taken many forms from 25.5 percent being cuffed or beaten to 9.5 percent being chained or physically restrained.

The report outlined that the more kids are maltreated, the higher the depression they suffer and the less able they are to communicate with others.

VietNamNet/Tien Phong