The government's plan to add some 2,000 child welfare officers by fiscal 2022 is a long overdue step to cope with the rapidly growing number of child abuse cases handled by child welfare centers across the country. What triggered the move was the death of a 5-year-old girl in Tokyo in March due to repeated abuse by her parents. Because the girl died after a request by local child welfare officials to see her was rejected by the victim's mother at their home, new guidelines on action by the welfare officials that put priority on the safety of victims of suspected abuse have been adopted. All the parties involved should continue to explore what can be done to provide effective protection for victims of child abuse.
Since the 2000 law to prevent child abuse made it an obligation for people who suspect child abuse is taking place to alert local child welfare centers, the number of such cases handled by the centers nationwide has multiplied — to reach a record 122,500 in fiscal 2016, up 18 percent from the previous year. There are currently 3,253 child welfare officers stationed at such centers and they are tasked to provide consultation, guidance and support to children and their parents. Their numbers have risen each year from 1,230 in 1999, but the sharp increase in cases of suspected abuse that they deal with — which shot up more than tenfold over the same period — has left child welfare centers with a chronic staff shortage.
The manpower problem has been one of the key shortcomings of Japan's efforts to stop child abuse in comparison with those of many Western countries. In the United States, where far greater numbers of child abuse cases are reported to child protection agencies, such institutions are staffed by many more experts per capita than in Japan. The plan to add 2,000 child welfare officers in coming years — boosting their number by 1.6 times — will help alleviate the manpower shortage. But whether the increased number will be effective in preventing the occurrence of child abuse and protecting the victims will be another story. Continued efforts need to be made to build up the expertise of welfare officers so they can make the right decisions in a variety of difficult situations involving victims of child abuse and their families — which may require years of experience on the job.