In November, media reports of child abuse carried out at an RYB kindergarten in Beijing sent shockwaves across China. As the sordid details emerged, this dark chapter had already ignited heated discussions and outright anger from all members of society.

As soon as the story surfaced, Beijing police and relevant authorities responded, initiating multiple investigations. A special investigative task force was assigned to the kindergarten. Within days, Beijing police had taken into custody a 22 years old female surnamed Liu who taught at the kindergarten.At the same time authorities ordered the Chaoyang District Board of Education to create an emergency management group focused solely on child protection and safety at kindergartens throughout the capital.

But overall, what should not be overlooked is how child abuse has been a long-running global issue that deserves greater attention.

In a report released earlier this year by the American Society for the Positive Care of Children (SPCC), the number of child abuse victims for 2015 was 7.2 million, while 2014 reported 6.6 million victims. The study also revealed an increase in child fatalities stemming from abuse and neglect.  In 2015, there were 1,670 child abuse-related fatalities, while the previous year reported 1,580.

One famous US example is Jason Michael Handy.

Handy was a producer for Nickelodeon, a popular television network for children and young teenagers, based in Hollywood. Handy also volunteered at a church in Malibu, an exclusive ocean-side enclave in Southern California, where he worked with children.

It was discovered that Handy had taken advantage of his position and access to aspiring child actors, and was arrested for sexually abusing two young girls.

In 2004, Handy was sentenced to prison after he pleaded no contest on two felony counts, a lewd act on a child and distributing sexually explicit material via email. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count related to child sexual exploitation. 

After Handy served five years in prison, he relocated to North Carolina where he landed in similar trouble all over again.  In 2014, he was charged with three counts of indecent exposure with a child, and for violating sex offender registration laws.

“It’s never too late to mend the mistake” is a well-known Chinese idiom. Its underlying meaning suggests that identifying a problem and finding the solution is more important than blaming someone or something.

What happened at the RYB kindergarten will never go away. The indignity and helplessness exposed by this dark episode in the nation’s capital are immeasurable.

The suspects connected to the abuse allegations must be brought to justice. But at the same time, we have to realize that merely following legal procedures will not cure the problem.  Of course, the legal system will provide a short-term fix, but when it comes to finding long-term solutions, it’s our society whom we should rely on.

On the judicial side, heavier penalties and sentencing would be a step in the right direction. And on the legislative side, initiatives should be rolled out that will prevent similar tragedies from happening again.

Closer attention and review of potential employees should be a mandatory step in the hiring process. Conducting thorough criminal background checks and implementing a classroom monitoring system will undoubtedly safeguard child safety and protect kindergarten students from adult predators.

Society as a whole needs to participate in promoting child abuse awareness and preventative education programs should be readily available to everyone.

By taking such comprehensive measures, more young hearts will be protected from the devils hiding in the darkness.