Historical Statistics of CSA Cases at EDB
Taura Edgar made this Freedom of Information request to Education Bureau
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Dear Education Bureau,
We request the following statistical information which we have modelled on your EDB Circular No. 1/2020 https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular... and are confident that your department holds such data:
Statistics on suspected child maltreatment cases, specifically of child sexual abuse (“CSA”), from January 2010 through December 2021 broken down by year, including the following:
(1) Number of suspected CSA cases
(2) Preliminary indication of immediate danger:
i. Child has immediate danger of continual staying at home/the place he/she is now living
ii. Child has immediate need for medical examination and treatment
iii. Child has urgent need for statutory protection
iv. Urgent report to Police for this suspected child maltreatment incident is needed
(3) The type of CSA alleged
(4) Sex and age of victim
(5) Sex and age of perpetrator
(6) Relationship between the victim and perpetrator
(7) The outcome of the suspected cases of CSA as either:
i. reported to the FCPSU of SWD (new cases)
ii. reported to the responsible social worker of the concerned service unit (known cases)
iii. reported to Police for criminal investigation
iv. referred to hospital of the Hospital Authority for medical examination/treatment
v. referred / reported to any other department (please specify)
Our aim is to understand the scope of the CSA issue which effects at least 1 in 10 children in the US and UK (and likely the same here) - an important social issue issue! Understanding the what, when and where of abuse trends according to gender and age will help stake holders such as parents, education, NGOs and ther government bodies plan for efforts to prevent child sexual abuse.
Regards,
Taura Edgar
https://www.talkhongkong.org/
Dear Taura,
Code on Access to Information
Application No. 20/2022
I refer to your application under the Code on Access to Information
received by the Education Bureau (EDB) on 15 February 2022.
The EDB does not capture the number and details of suspected child
maltreatment cases, including child sexual abuse in Hong Kong.
Yours sincerely,
(Miss Katie CHENG)
for Secretary for Education
From: Taura Edgar <[1][FOI #985 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 1:04 PM
To: EDBInfo/EDB <[2][Education Bureau request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Historical Statistics of CSA
Cases at EDB
Dear Education Bureau,
We request the following statistical information which we have modelled on
your EDB Circular No. 1/2020
[3]https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular... and
are confident that your department holds such data:
Statistics on suspected child maltreatment cases, specifically of child
sexual abuse (“CSA”), from January 2010 through December 2021 broken down
by year, including the following:
(1) Number of suspected CSA cases
(2) Preliminary indication of immediate danger:
i. Child has immediate danger of continual staying at home/the place
he/she is now living
ii. Child has immediate need for medical examination and treatment
iii. Child has urgent need for statutory protection
iv. Urgent report to Police for this suspected child maltreatment
incident is needed
(3) The type of CSA alleged
(4) Sex and age of victim
(5) Sex and age of perpetrator
(6) Relationship between the victim and perpetrator
(7) The outcome of the suspected cases of CSA as either:
i. reported to the FCPSU of SWD (new cases)
ii. reported to the responsible social worker of the concerned service
unit (known cases)
iii. reported to Police for criminal investigation
iv. referred to hospital of the Hospital Authority for medical
examination/treatment
v. referred / reported to any other department (please specify)
Our aim is to understand the scope of the CSA issue which effects at least
1 in 10 children in the US and UK (and likely the same here) - an
important social issue issue! Understanding the what, when and where of
abuse trends according to gender and age will help stake holders such as
parents, education, NGOs and ther government bodies plan for efforts to
prevent child sexual abuse.
Regards,
Taura Edgar
[4]https://www.talkhongkong.org/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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References
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1. mailto:[FOI #985 email]
2. mailto:[Education Bureau request email]
3. https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular...
4. https://www.talkhongkong.org/
5. mailto:[FOI #985 email]
6. mailto:[Education Bureau request email]
7. https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...
8. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers
Dear Katie HK CHENG/EDB,
Thanks for your reply. I refer you again to the Education Bureau Circular No. 1/2020 Handling Suspected Cases of Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence which sets out how the handling and recording of such information must be done. Specifically Appendix 6: "Reporting of Suspected Child Maltreatment Case" form where such data must be recorded. https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular....
According to these EDB guidelines the data is captured and is hereby requested.
Sincerely,
Taura Edgar
https://www.talkhongkong.org/
Dear Taura,
Code on Access to Information
Application No. 20/2022
I refer to your follow-up enquiry under the Code on Access to Information
received by the Education Bureau (EDB) on 22 February 2022.
As stated at paragraph 7(f) of the EDB Circular No. 1/2020, suspected
child maltreatment cases that require immediate attention should be
reported urgently to the Family and Child Protection Services Unit (FCPSU)
of the Social Welfare Department. Schools may do so by telephone and then
submit the completed Report Form at Appendix 6 attached with the circular
to the FCPSU of respective district. Therefore, EDB does not capture the
number and details of suspected child maltreatment cases, including child
sexual abuse in Hong Kong.
Yours sincerely,
(Miss Katie CHENG)
for Secretary for Education
Dear Education Bureau,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Education Bureau's handling of my FOI request 'Historical Statistics of CSA Cases at EDB'.
I do not believe that the EDB doesn't capture data about Child Sexual Abuse. All the information I am requesting is contained in you own guidelines including a form with spaces for that data (https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular...). According to your own guidelines you must know whether a case is a "known case" or not. It is impossible to determine that without maintaining that data. Are you claiming that you destroy that data? When in the process do you destroy that data?
If you do not track this information it is impossible to appropriately plan to prevent abuse of children regularly in your custody.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/histori...
Sincerely,
Taura Edgar
Founder
https://www.talkhongkong.org/
Dear Taura,
Code on Access to Information
Application No. 20/2022 – Internal Review
I refer to your request for an internal review under paragraph 1.25 of the
Code on Access to Information received on 3 March 2022.
Your request is now under processing. According to paragraph 1.16 of the
Code, we will inform you of the latest progress of the case separately on
or before 23 March 2022. In the meantime, please contact the undersigned
at 2892 6121 if you have any enquiries relating to the Code.
Yours sincerely,
(Miss Katie CHENG)
for Secretary for Education
From: Taura Edgar <[1][FOI #985 email]>
Sent: Thursday, March 3, 2022 6:25 PM
To: EDBInfo/EDB <[2][Education Bureau request email]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Historical
Statistics of CSA Cases at EDB
Dear Education Bureau,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information
reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Education Bureau's handling
of my FOI request 'Historical Statistics of CSA Cases at EDB'.
I do not believe that the EDB doesn't capture data about Child Sexual
Abuse. All the information I am requesting is contained in you own
guidelines including a form with spaces for that data
([3]https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular...
According to your own guidelines you must know whether a case is a "known
case" or not. It is impossible to determine that without maintaining that
data. Are you claiming that you destroy that data? When in the process do
you destroy that data?
If you do not track this information it is impossible to appropriately
plan to prevent abuse of children regularly in your custody.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[4]https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/histori...
Sincerely,
Taura Edgar
Founder
[5]https://www.talkhongkong.org/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[6][FOI #985 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[7]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #985 email]
2. mailto:[Education Bureau request email]
3. https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular...
4. https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/histori...
5. https://www.talkhongkong.org/
6. mailto:[FOI #985 email]
7. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers
Dear Taura,
Code on Access to Information
Application No. 20/2022 – Internal Review
I refer to your request for an internal review under paragraph 1.25 of the
Code on Access to Information received on 3 March 2022.
As more time is needed to review numerous information, your application is
still under processing. According to paragraph 1.18 of the Code, we will
inform you of the result of the case separately on or before 22 April
2022. In the meantime, please contact the undersigned at 2892 6121 if you
have any enquiries relating to the Code.
Yours sincerely,
(Miss Katie CHENG)
for Secretary for Education
From: Katie HK CHENG/EDB
Sent: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 3:28 PM
To: Taura Edgar <[FOI #985 email]>
Subject: Code on Access to Information (Application No. 20/2022)
Dear Taura,
Code on Access to Information
Application No. 20/2022 – Internal Review
I refer to your request for an internal review under paragraph 1.25 of the
Code on Access to Information received on 3 March 2022.
Your request is now under processing. According to paragraph 1.16 of the
Code, we will inform you of the latest progress of the case separately on
or before 23 March 2022. In the meantime, please contact the undersigned
at 2892 6121 if you have any enquiries relating to the Code.
Yours sincerely,
(Miss Katie CHENG)
for Secretary for Education
From: Taura Edgar <[1][FOI #985 email]>
Sent: Thursday, March 3, 2022 6:25 PM
To: EDBInfo/EDB <[2][Education Bureau request email]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Historical
Statistics of CSA Cases at EDB
Dear Education Bureau,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information
reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Education Bureau's handling
of my FOI request 'Historical Statistics of CSA Cases at EDB'.
I do not believe that the EDB doesn't capture data about Child Sexual
Abuse. All the information I am requesting is contained in you own
guidelines including a form with spaces for that data
([3]https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular...
According to your own guidelines you must know whether a case is a "known
case" or not. It is impossible to determine that without maintaining that
data. Are you claiming that you destroy that data? When in the process do
you destroy that data?
If you do not track this information it is impossible to appropriately
plan to prevent abuse of children regularly in your custody.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[4]https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/histori...
Sincerely,
Taura Edgar
Founder
[5]https://www.talkhongkong.org/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[6][FOI #985 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[7]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #985 email]
2. mailto:[Education Bureau request email]
3. https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular...
4. https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/histori...
5. https://www.talkhongkong.org/
6. mailto:[FOI #985 email]
7. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers
Dear Taura,
Code on Access to Information
Application No. 20/2022 – Internal Review
I refer to your request for an internal review under paragraph 1.25 of the
Code on Access to Information received on 3 March 2022. Our reply is set
out in the following paragraphs.
The Education Bureau (EDB) issued the EDB Circular No. 1/2020 (the
Circular), mentioned by you in your preceding mails, is serving the
purpose to remind schools to observe the “Protecting Children from
Maltreatment – Procedural Guide for Multi-disciplinary Co-operation”
(revised in 2020) (“Child Protection Guide” hereafter) jointly drawn up by
the Social Welfare Department (SWD) and related professionals and the
relevant guidelines/circulars/codes of practice issued by the EDB/SWD from
time to time in establishing or enhancing schools’ internal mechanism,
procedures and measures, so as to prevent child maltreatment incidents,
handle suspected child maltreatment cases properly and provide appropriate
assistance to the children and their families in need.
Specifically, when handling cases suspected to involve sexual abuse,
schools should follow the Child Protection Guide to consult the Family and
Child Protective Services Unit of the SWD or the Child Abuse Investigation
Unit of the Hong Kong Police Force for appropriate actions. For cases
suspected to involve criminal offence, schools should report to the
Police. These cases can be “known cases” as you highlighted in your e-mail
dated 3 March 2022, that means they are handled by service units,
including the SWD and units under non-governmental organisations that
provide casework services. Nevertheless, these cases are not necessarily
known to or handled by the EDB. You may wish to refer to the appendices
of the Circular for the details such as identification, reporting,
conducting initial assessment and immediate child protection actions etc.
of a suspected child maltreatment case.
All the report forms and appendices including Appendix 6 attached in the
Circular are copied / adopted from the corresponding parts in the Child
Protection Guide with a view to facilitate school personnel with easy
reference on procedures and to retrieve the required forms for handling
the suspected child maltreatment cases. Schools are neither required to
submit the completed report forms attached in the Circular nor information
about the suspected child maltreatment cases (including child sexual abuse
cases) in any other ways to the EDB. Therefore, the EDB does not have the
number and details of suspected child maltreatment cases, including child
sexual abuse in Hong Kong. With the Government’s enhanced provision of
various school-based professionals in recent years, individual student
with support needs is generally handled at the school level. The EDB,
however, would support schools at the system level, such as advising on
their overall guidance and discipline policy and mechanism, cultivating
caring culture in schools, etc..
If you are not satisfied with our decision, you may consider lodging a
complaint with the Ombudsman whose contact is at:
30/F, China Merchants Tower
Shun Tak Centre
168 – 200 Connaught Road Central
Hong Kong
Telephone: 2629 0555
Fax: 2882 8149
Yours sincerely,
(Dr Verena LAU)
for Secretary for Education
From: Katie HK CHENG/EDB
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2022 4:18 PM
To: 'Taura Edgar' <[1][FOI #985 email]>
Subject: Re: Code on Access to Information (Application No. 20/2022)
Dear Taura,
Code on Access to Information
Application No. 20/2022 – Internal Review
I refer to your request for an internal review under paragraph 1.25 of the
Code on Access to Information received on 3 March 2022.
As more time is needed to review numerous information, your application is
still under processing. According to paragraph 1.18 of the Code, we will
inform you of the result of the case separately on or before 22 April
2022. In the meantime, please contact the undersigned at 2892 6121 if you
have any enquiries relating to the Code.
Yours sincerely,
(Miss Katie CHENG)
for Secretary for Education
From: Katie HK CHENG/EDB
Sent: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 3:28 PM
To: Taura Edgar <[2][FOI #985 email]>
Subject: Code on Access to Information (Application No. 20/2022)
Dear Taura,
Code on Access to Information
Application No. 20/2022 – Internal Review
I refer to your request for an internal review under paragraph 1.25 of the
Code on Access to Information received on 3 March 2022.
Your request is now under processing. According to paragraph 1.16 of the
Code, we will inform you of the latest progress of the case separately on
or before 23 March 2022. In the meantime, please contact the undersigned
at 2892 6121 if you have any enquiries relating to the Code.
Yours sincerely,
(Miss Katie CHENG)
for Secretary for Education
From: Taura Edgar <[3][FOI #985 email]>
Sent: Thursday, March 3, 2022 6:25 PM
To: EDBInfo/EDB <[4][Education Bureau request email]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Historical
Statistics of CSA Cases at EDB
Dear Education Bureau,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information
reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Education Bureau's handling
of my FOI request 'Historical Statistics of CSA Cases at EDB'.
I do not believe that the EDB doesn't capture data about Child Sexual
Abuse. All the information I am requesting is contained in you own
guidelines including a form with spaces for that data
([5]https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular...
According to your own guidelines you must know whether a case is a "known
case" or not. It is impossible to determine that without maintaining that
data. Are you claiming that you destroy that data? When in the process do
you destroy that data?
If you do not track this information it is impossible to appropriately
plan to prevent abuse of children regularly in your custody.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[6]https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/histori...
Sincerely,
Taura Edgar
Founder
[7]https://www.talkhongkong.org/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[8][FOI #985 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[9]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #985 email]
2. mailto:[FOI #985 email]
3. mailto:[FOI #985 email]
4. mailto:[Education Bureau request email]
5. https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular...
6. https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/histori...
7. https://www.talkhongkong.org/
8. mailto:[FOI #985 email]
9. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers
