Sex offenders prey on left-behind kids (4)

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Reported cases rise

"Left-behind children with little knowledge are highly vulnerable to sexual abuse," said Ji Hong, who delivers lectures on childhood sexual protection at the China Children and Teenagers' Fund. "It will take a long time to change that."

One of the reasons that sexual violence perpetrated against left-behind children often goes unreported is that the victims seldom inform their guardians about attacks. Most cases that have come to light in cities and rural areas involved children whose parents live at home.

In a report conducted by the All-China Women's federation earlier this year, roughly 47 percent of rural children fell into the 'left-behind' category, and around one-third lived with their grandparents.

In recent years, the number of reported cases has risen twofold, reaching approximately 700 nationwide. A report conducted by Han last year found that most sexually abused children were aged 14 or younger.

According to experts, the paucity of sex education means that rural-dwelling girls of this age have little understanding of sexual behavior, and the advice given by their guardians or teachers rarely helps.

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