The Force received 780 child abuse cases between January and August this year, a sharp increase of nearly 70 per cent as compared with the same period last year. Data shows that, during the epidemic, students were unable to return to school for classes, and some parents lost emotional control and physically punished their children because they spent a lot of time at home to care for their children. Meanwhile, young people have also increased their use of online platforms amid the epidemic, and some of them made bad friends online and were seduced to have sexual intercourse or were even sexually assaulted.

In response to these issues, the Force launched a seven-week “Let’s T.A.L.K.” Child Protection Campaign on October 10, to adopt a multipronged approach to raise public awareness of child protection and enhance the mental health of child carers to facilitate harmonious family life. China’s former diving queen Ms Guo Jingjing was appointed by the Force as one of the ambassadors of the Child Protection Campaign.

Ms Guo shared her experience in raising children in her interview with OffBeat. As a mother of three children, she felt the biggest parental challenge is to remind herself that she is her children’s lifelong teacher. She said, “Sometimes I may lose my patience when I provide guidance to my children on their homework, but I would try to think from their perspective and remind myself not to demand my children to meet the standard of an adult. Naturally when I manage my expectations and stay patient, I am able to deal with my emotional fluctuation.”

Ms Guo left her family when she was six years old to receive diving training, so she did not spend a lot of time with her parents while growing up. Diving training mainly focuses on obedience and discipline, this childhood experience made her realise that parents should provide sufficient space for their children to make their own choices and determine their future.

When asked if she would support her children to become professional athletes, as a retired Olympic gold medallist, Ms Guo has an open attitude, she said, “I will fully support them if they wish to become a professional athlete, but if they would like to develop themselves in other areas, such as learning music, I will also give them my full support. The most important thing is that they are interested in the activity and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from the training, and through the training they would understand they must persevere to succeed.”

Ms Guo felt very honoured to be appointed as an ambassador of the Child Protection Campaign and she found the campaign very meaningful. She pointed out that child protection is everyone’s responsibility, and joint efforts from the community are crucial in protecting children’s safety and welfare.