HEALING WITH LOVE: Zhan Hongli, a juvenile court judge in Nanping, Fujian Province, talks to a delinquent on June 16, 2011 (ZHANG GUOJUN)

On February 24, an online post about an assault on a teenage girl raised a public outcry in China.

The incident took place in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, last September. The suspect, a 17-year-old boy surnamed Tao, set fire to a girl, surnamed Zhou, who had rejected his romantic advances. Tao and Zhou both studied in the same high school in Hefei.

The case prompted strong calls for authorities to check juvenile violence after the victim's mother went online to call for help, describing the gruesome details of the assault and posting photos of her daughter's bandage-wrapped face. A hospital diagnosis indicated that about 32 percent of the girl's body had been burned.

Official statistics show the number of crimes committed by young people is growing.

According to the Supreme People's Court, 234,737 juvenile defendants were convicted in China from 2008 to 2010. Most of the offenders were prosecuted on charges of robbery, murder, sexual assault, fighting and causing public disturbances.

An urgent matter

In July 2011, the Chinese Society for Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Research (CSJDPR), the only non-governmental organization in the country specializing in young criminals, released a report based on a nationwide survey conducted in 2010. The survey was answered by 966 boys and 239 girls in correctional institutions and reform schools in 10 provinces and municipalities, including Beijing.

According to the survey, juvenile offenses often involve violent crime and organized crime. The major motive is a desire for money and the major influence is peer pressure and the majority of offenders act on impulse.

According to the report, robbery is the most common crime committed by juveniles, and accounts for 60 percent of convictions.

Liu Guiming, Deputy Secretary General of the CSJDPR, attributed the rise of juvenile delinquency in China to the lack of family belonging and incomplete social management.

According to the CSJDPR report, nearly 41 percent of minor offenders expressed their discontent with their families, and about 45 percent of those surveyed did not live or communicate with their parents.

"Insufficient family affection may result in young offenders feeling resentment," said Cao Xuecheng, Secretary General of the society.

Li Meijin, a renowned criminal psychologist with the Chinese People's Public Security University in Beijing, said "The period before a child turns 10 is very important when they really need parents' guidance and help."

But most Chinese parents believe that providing a good material life is enough and is probably the best way to show their love for their children. Therefore, they are busy earning money instead of spending time with their children at home.

"I think parents should take care of children themselves, which is better for kids' development and will help reduce some offenses," Li said.

Sang Biao, Associate Dean of the School of Psychology and Cognitive Science at East China Normal University in Shanghai, agrees with Li. What juveniles need when they meet difficulties is support and help from their parents, he said.

"The majority of young criminals don't live with their parents, let alone have communication and supervision," he said, adding that such a situation easily leads to behavioral and psychological problems in teenagers.

Both experts suggest that the government should draw up regulations to enable parents to stay with children when they are young, especially in the case of migrant workers.

Meanwhile, compared with a similar survey in 2004, the number of juvenile delinquents who were the children of migrant workers has increased, according to the CSJDPR's report.

Statistics released by the Shanghai Juvenile Reformatory show that 84 percent of its inmates' families are not originally from Shanghai.

The Shanghai Juvenile Reformatory is the only designated jail for youth in Shanghai, holding 500 juvenile criminals in custody. Around 22 percent of inmates are under 18 and the youngest is 15.