Child protection from the perspective of domestic violence prevention and control law

(PLVN) - Domestic violence prevention and control is a social issue that is of great concern to all levels and sectors. Many new legal regulations have been issued or supplemented. Most recently, the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control was passed by the 15th National Assembly on November 14, 2022, effective from July 1, 2023 with many new points, and is an important legal tool to protect the rights and interests of family members, especially those who are vulnerable to becoming targets and victims of domestic violence.

Sad numbers

At the end of June 2025, the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province issued a decision to fine Mr. Phan Van T (Son Lam commune) 30 million VND for beating his child. According to the decision, on April 29, Mr. T used an electric wire to beat his biological child, Ph.HK (11 years old), and on April 30 used a piece of plastic water pipe to beat his child K, causing injury. Based on current regulations, the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province decided to fine Mr. T 15 million VND for each act of "using other objects to cause injury to family members". The total fine for the two times of beating child K is 30 million VND.

Previously, in June 2024, two biological sisters NTQH, born in 2004 and NTQL, born in 2007, reported to the police that their biological father, Mr. NVK, sexually abused them when they were 7 and 10 years old. Specifically, on June 25, 2024, while visiting their hometown, Ms. Do TH and her two daughters QH and QL went to the police station of Hai Phu commune, Hai Hau district, Nam Dinh province to denounce Mr. NVK's illegal behavior.

The police agency in Hai Hau district, Nam Dinh province has transferred the case to Binh Thanh district police, Ho Chi Minh City to continue investigating and resolving the incident because it occurred in this locality. Most recently, in June 2025, NTQH and NTQL sent a petition to the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department of Investigation and the Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuracy, requesting to prosecute the biological father, Mr. NVK.

During the 2024 Children's Action Month, the National Child Protection Hotline 111 (111 Hotline) had statistics showing that after 20 years of operation, the Hotline has provided advice and support to nearly 10,869 cases of children being abused, subjected to violence, trafficked, exploited, children in difficult circumstances and children's rights violations.

The number of consultations related to child abuse, violence and legal advice has increased sharply in recent years. Specifically, in 10,869 support and intervention cases, there were 4,901 cases of child violence (accounting for 45.09%); 2,635 cases of child sexual abuse (accounting for 24.24%); 906 cases of child exploitation (accounting for 8.34%)... From 2020 to present, the rate of consultation calls related to abuse and violence accounted for 51.57%; legal consultation calls accounted for 28.24%...

Changing the perception of parents using violent discipline on their children

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), child abuse against girls, boys and adolescents is widespread, while the use of violent forms of discipline by parents is widely accepted in many communities. Violence includes physical, mental or sexual violence and can occur in any environment: at home, at school, at work, online and in the community, child abuse is often hidden by silence. Violence has a profound impact on children's mental and physical health.

From the above cases, it can be seen that although many positive changes have been made in social life, legal documents on preventing and combating domestic violence have not really penetrated into life, permeated the awareness of the majority of people, many people still do not really understand the regulations related to this issue. Therefore, domestic violence at many levels still occurs, in which the cause comes from lack of understanding of the law.

According to many experts, raising awareness and understanding of the Law on Prevention and Control of Domestic Violence must be done continuously and regularly to change gender stereotypes and consider domestic violence as only family conflicts of the people, which is a very important condition in the activities of preventing and controlling domestic violence. It is necessary to mobilize the active participation of men in preventing and controlling domestic violence. Men cannot stand aside because they are the ones who can change the problem of domestic violence...

Particularly in terms of protecting children from domestic violence, it is necessary to raise awareness of the impact and consequences of domestic violence on the lives and development of children in violent families. Witnessing violence in the family will have a major impact on the psychology, physiology and development of children, so there is a need for a special program to raise awareness of domestic violence for women and children to help women and children have the necessary knowledge when facing domestic violence such as who to go to and where to report when being abused. These awareness raising programs must be designed to suit the level and language of the population groups...

According to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 47 of the Law on Children 2016, child protection is implemented at three levels: Prevention (including protection measures applied to the community, family and children to raise awareness, equip knowledge on child protection, build a safe and healthy living environment for children, minimize the risk of children being abused or falling into special circumstances); Support (including protection measures applied to children at risk of violence, exploitation, abandonment or children in special circumstances to promptly detect, minimize or eliminate the risk of harm to children); Intervention (including protection measures applied to children and families of abused children to prevent abuse; Support for recovery care and community reintegration for children in special circumstances).

Hong Minh

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/bao-ve-tre-em-tu-goc-do-cua-phap-luat-phong-chong-bao-luc-gia-dinh-post553511.html