Emotional and physical abuse equally harmful to children

Children's participation in commercial activities has become common in recent years. Although children are encouraged to enter society, it is often forgotten that their socialization requires enough time and experiences.

It might have just the opposite effect if necessary stages in the growth of children are neglected or shortened.

Experts have analyzed many problems concerning emotional child abuse.

Society has an increasingly low tolerance for physical child abuse, but fails to pay enough attention to emotional child abuse.

Many people mistakenly equate adults' social activities with those of children, but these activities actually do not meet children's socialization needs.

For example, many television programs like to attract and amuse audiences by asking children some questions that are typically for adults, and few of them care about the possible negative impact on children. They do not seem to have the slightest respect for children.

Furthermore, certain parents want their children to participate in more social activities to broaden their horizons, but children are often required to dress like adults, and their appearance fees are clearly marked. In some sense, these children have become adults' profit-making tools, and they may lose their innocence too early.

In order to effectively protect children, people need to respect the basic laws for child growth.

It is more realistic to take legal measures rather than use moral denunciation to protect children's interests. For a long time, Chinese lawmakers have emphasized adults' obligations to children, but failed to focus on related laws on children.

The lawmakers should consider children as subjects of rights, and develop more workable laws and regulations. The maximization of children's interests lies in protection and, more importantly, healthy development.