Deputy eyes early intervention to stem juvenile crime

Following extensive research and numerous visits, Wu Meifang, a professor from Anhui province and a deputy to the National People's Congress, made a suggestion last year advocating for stronger legal protection for children and coordinated efforts to prevent juvenile crime.

Wu said she was prompted to bring the issue to the nation's top legislature after a teacher shared the troubling story of a student left unsupervised by his migrant worker parents and frequently associating with delinquent peers.

"The teacher's concerns about the lack of effective intervention strategies prompted me to think deeply about how we can better protect minors," Wu said.

Subsequent school visits and further research showed that cases involving "lacking guardianship, and negative influences" were not isolated.

"Students in these circumstances are at high risk of engaging in delinquent behavior and are also vulnerable to exploitation," she said, explaining the rationale behind her suggestion.

In her submission, Wu called for a comprehensive, multitiered system focused on proactive prevention, targeted intervention and effective rehabilitation. Key measures included strengthening guidance on family education, ensuring school attendance and safety, addressing juvenile delinquency and cracking down on those who exploit or incite minors to commit crimes.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate, which handled the suggestion, held multiple discussions with Wu to examine her recommendations and dedicated a special section in its 2025 third-quarter report to developments in juvenile justice.

The top procuratorate has urged guardians to fulfill their responsibilities by publicizing relevant cases and has worked with police, women's federations and communities to strengthen family education guidance.

It has also stepped up legal education in schools by developing courses tailored for minors and established more than 2,100 youth legal education centers countrywide. To address broader social influences, it has called for specialized schools to intensify oversight of education and rehabilitation for delinquent youths and strengthened supervision of venues such as bars, KTV studios and gaming hotels. Prosecutors have also partnered with internet regulators to share information and help create a safer online environment for young users.

"It's encouraging to see these efforts prioritize rural areas, vocational schools and institutions facing significant challenges, with campaigns focused on anti-bullying, anti-sexual assault and anti-fraud," Wu said. "I was heartened to see these initiatives taking shape, but what truly encouraged me was the tangible impact of these actions."

Official data shows that in 2025, China recorded a 9.8 percent year-on-year decrease in juvenile crime prosecutions and a 2.2 percent decline in prosecutions for offenses against minors, marking the first "double reduction" in recent years.

Wu has long focused on juvenile protection. Since becoming a deputy in 2018, she has submitted 34 motions and suggestions, six of which directly address the healthy development of minors. Her initiatives have covered mental health education for children and adolescents, school safety, juvenile court reform, regulation of minors' smartphone use, Communist Party of China and national history early education programs, and strengthening ideological and political education for primary and secondary schoolteachers.

"Being elected as a deputy by the people means serving the people. It's my duty to turn the issues identified during visits and research, as well as public concerns, into suggestions for the top legislature," Wu said.

"I will continue to be a diligent 'researcher' and an effective 'advocate' for laws and national policies, with a special focus on the healthy growth of children, striving to be their 'guardian'," she said.