According to Macau’s total number of crimes reported in the first nine months of last year, announced by the Office of the Secretary for Security (GSS) in December, the number of child sexual abuse cases rose by 13 year-on-year to 28 cases in the same 9-month period.
The cases primarily concern consensual sexual activity involving minors, the spreading of pornographic images or videos, and acts of minor sexual harassment. Among these cases, some also involved suspects who are relatives of the victims.
The Post yesterday interviewed two student counsellors from a student counselling service centre run by General Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macau (UGAMM – widely known as Kai Fong, its short name in Cantonese), Cheong Man I and Ng Weng Kei, about the ongoing effort to prevent child sexual abuse.
Cheong pointed out that many adolescents have a vague understanding of the legal boundaries regarding sexual activity and exhibit a sense of complacency, adding that adolescents commonly believe that if “both parties consent” or if they are “underage,” it’s no issue.
Cheong also said that the online environment makes it extremely easy for young people to access various types of sexual information, including content presented in “packaged” forms such as novels and comics. The regulatory oversight in this area exists in a grey zone, which exacerbates adolescents’ casual attitude towards and curiosity about different kinds of sexual behaviour, Cheong said.
Ng also said that sex education promotion in schools has become quite regular. However, the speed and directness of online information often expose young people to information beyond their age level, creating a gap with the age-appropriate designed content taught in schools, Ng said.
Ng pointed out that the key to sex education lies in whether families can provide timely follow-up and communication. Although resources such as “parent workshops” are available, parents commonly face the dilemma of “not knowing how to start the conversation,” Ng said.
Cheong emphasised that cases involving relatives are highly concealed, making identification and intervention difficult. She highlighted that closely observing adolescents’ emotional changes, social behaviour and online footprints is useful to detect signs. Building a trusting relationship is key to encouraging victims to seek help, Cheong said.
Regarding preventive measures, Cheong suggested a multi-pronged approach, strengthening age-appropriate regulation of online content at the source; continuously communicating the legal consequences clearly to young people to eliminate grey areas; optimising existing sex education teaching materials and developing dedicated family-based sex education resources for parents. She also suggested that the government should consider optimising the environment of support services, such as healthcare, to provide safer and quieter waiting spaces for adolescent victims.
Both Cheong and Ng concluded that prevention efforts require a community-wide approach, with families, in particular, needing to invest more time. This involves adopting an open attitude to understand their children’s online culture and social circles, thereby building close parent-child communication, both said, adding that this is crucial for early problem detection and reducing the concealment of such cases.
Outreach student counsellor Cheong Man I (left) and student counsellor Ng Weng Kei pose with children’s sex education materials at a student counselling service centre run by the General Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macau (UGAMM) on Rua das Estalagens in the city centre yesterday. – Photo: Armindo Neves
