China is planning to pass a new law that would effectively hold parents legally responsible for the behavior of their children. Under the proposed new legislation, parents of children with "very bad behavior" or those guilty of crimes could face fines or punishments.
A draft of the country's proposed Family Education Promotion law revealed that parents of badly behaved or criminally guilty children could be required to attend family education guidance programs or other similar seminars. The proposal stated that holding parents accountable for the behavior of the children under their care should encourage them more to impose better rules and regulations at home.
The Legislative Affairs Commission under the National People's Congress said that one of the main reasons children and adolescents misbehave is the lack of proper family education and parental guidance. The commission said the appropriate family education must be implemented in every household.
Apart from holding parents accountable for the actions of their children, the proposed family education promotion law also included legal guidelines for parents to follow in how they manage their children. This includes guidelines on how they can arrange time for their children to play, rest, and exercise.
Over the past few months, China has been cracking down on the ongoing problem of online video game addiction and the lack of proper discipline for children across the country. Officials described the epidemic of video game addiction as a form of "spiritual opium" that is holding back children's full potential.
Earlier in the year, China had imposed new laws that regulated how often minors are allowed to play online games. Under the new law, children below 18 years old will only be allowed to play video games for up to one hour per day on weekends only.
The new law also prohibited schools and tutors from giving too much homework for major subjects. Officials said it was important to achieve a balance of work and play for children given the growing concern of heavy academic pressures that has overwhelmed a lot of the country's youth.
Recently, China also passed new regulations that encourage men to act more "manly."The legislation also prohibited the show of "feminine" men on public broadcasts and television. Under China's "Proposal to Prevent the Feminization of Male Adolescents," schools had been encouraged to promote more "manly" sports activities for male students.
