Protection of the Rights of Children Affected by Domestic Violence in China

Child domestic violence remains a significant challenge in China, where many cases fail to receive timely protection despite the establishment of legal mechanisms such as mandatory reporting and personal safety protection orders. The major problem is not merely the existence of abuse, but the gap between legal recognition and effective intervention caused by uncertainty about certain forms of domestic violence, uneven implementation of reporting responsibilities, insufficient professional training, inadequate public awareness, and weak institutional coordination. This article examines the deficiencies of China's child protection framework through legislative, public awareness, enforcement, and judicial perspectives, using comparative analysis of child protection systems in selected European countries. Based on these comparisons, this article proposes three targeted reforms. First, China should establish a graduated accountability mechanism for failure to fulfil mandatory reporting obligations. Second, compulsory training programmes should be introduced for relevant individuals and bodies to improve early identification, evidence preservation, and trauma-informed responses. Third, China should strengthen institutional coordination by developing a national child domestic violence database and integrating protection mechanisms into the existing 110 emergency system. These reforms aim to transform China's current reactive protection model towards a preventive model, strengthening accountability, and ensuring more effective protection of children's rights.