He went on to say that child abuse is common in Japan, with many parents believing in corporal punishment. The reaction of the Japanese public to the latest incident, however, has been mostly negative, suggesting a shift in awareness of the nature of child abuse. Of the 6,079 who had answered as of Friday morning, 18.6% said discipline, 67.8% said child abuse and 13.6% were undecided. “There wasn’t anything to eat.”Although the story appears to have a happy ending, it has also launched a nationwide discussion about the difference between discipline and child abuse. A small boy whose disappearance in northern Japan engrossed the nation for six days and launched a discussion about what constitutes child abuse has been found unhurt, authorities said.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 03, 2016 01:06 UTC