Reported child abuse incidents are on the rise as consultation centers nationwide handled a record 122,578 cases in fiscal 2016, a health ministry survey showed Thursday, increasing the strain on welfare workers.
Juvenile consultation centers have seen around a fivefold increase in abuse cases over the past 15 years, while the number of welfare workers responding to victims and their parents has only doubled in the same period.
The increase in cases may be attributed partly to greater awareness of the issue prompting more people to report incidents or and consult about abuse. The data also suggest the upward trend remains unchanged as more children are suffering from psychological trauma, such as witnessing acts of domestic violence within their families.