murdered children

China Post editorial:

Taiwanese families are not as close-knit as they should be

Last week's news included the tragic story of a man's suicide in Chiayi, which apparently followed his murder of both his parents and the attempted murder of his wife and children. They were found just in time, with charcoal still burning in the room in which they lay unconscious.

Similarly saved was the daughter of a Tainan man, though his wife was not so lucky as he managed to kill both her and himself by driving their car into Jiangjun Harbor. Also unfortunate was a 13-year-old girl from Taichung County who was killed by her mother last month, despite having asked police and social workers for help after learning of her mother's plans.

While every murder represents the breakdown of social order, cases of parricide, and in particular filicide, are especially disturbing. They represent a failure not just of society but of our genetic programming to care for our offspring.

But whether this spate of murders of family members — some relating to financial troubles and others to mental-health issues — represents a worrying trend caused by changes in Taiwan society and culture, or represents the worst of past practices and attitudes, is far from clear.

Children's rights were almost non-existent under China's traditional Confucian ethics, as they were considered the property of their fathers. Thus in Cao Xue-qin's 18th-century story “Dream of the Red Chamber,” Jia Bao-yu's father is described as almost beating him to death, as he had every right to do. Similarly in Lu Xun's “Diary of a Madman,” the narrator mentions children being sold as food in times of famine, or even being consumed by their own parents.

While these examples might be fictional, this was sometimes the reality. Even in modern times, children's wishes are often subservient to those of their parents, and filial obedience is still demanded and received. While this may not always be bad, because it cannot be assumed that children know what is best for themselves or act in their own best interests, it is also not always good. One glaringly negative example is the number of prostitutes who entered the profession at their fathers' instructions in order to pay off their debts.

In contrast to such traditional attitudes that have been carried through to the 20th and 21st centuries are the rapid changes in family life that have occurred in Taiwan over the recent decades. These include an increased role of central and local governments in welfare provision, and hence a diminished reliance on family structures. There has also been a reduction of the traditional “three generations under one roof” living arrangement to a more nuclear-family set up. And yet conversely, many children are raised by their grandparents as both parents have fulltime jobs. Women in the workforce have increased their status in society and their economic independence within the family, which, although a positive development, can cause friction for men used to wielding purse-string power over their dependents.

But with both parents often subject to the nation's overtime culture, Taiwan is increasingly experiencing a latchkey-kid phenomenon. Observations of this condition in the United States suggest it can lead to loneliness, boredom and fear in elementary schoolchildren, and depression, lower self-esteem and academic problems for teenagers. Also found is an increased susceptibility to peer pressure in teenagers, possibly leading to alcohol and drug abuse, or criminal behavior.

A similar situation in Taiwan came under media scrutiny earlier this year following the arrest of Chen Jui for gang-related gambling offenses in Taipei high schools, and the tearful public breakdown of his father, TV celebrity Chen Kai-lun, who confessed to putting his career ahead of spending time with his family.

Hopefully, Chen's anguish has alerted parents nationwide to the situation, and their pursuit of career, money or other success will be tempered by domestic concerns. Having children may be a universal right, but it also brings with it a multitude of responsibilities, something that is often overlooked. Happy, close-knit families can also be a greater source of satisfaction, pride and sense of achievement than financial wealth or career success.

In a related news item, a survey released by the Ministry of Education on Friday indicated that almost 80 percent of respondents said they rarely or never hugged their parents or siblings, 62 percent rarely or never thanked or praised their relatives, and 20 percent spent 30 minutes or less with family members each day. Adult males and high-school students interacted the least with their families.

While hugging might not be a traditional Taiwanese habit (though the MOE recommended it for its soothing and calming influence, and role in building better social relationships), the other figures perhaps show a breakdown in the strong family cohesion traditionally claimed by Taiwanese, Chinese and Asian societies.

On the contrary, this lack of familial interaction renders families incapable of dealing with major personal, family or social crises, the MOE suggested. This became tragically apparent in Chiayi, Tainan and Taichung.