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Aug 2026
(Sat)
When Duty Calls: Mandatory Reporting, SEN Children, and the Path to Family Support
- Subject
- Law-Related Courses, Professional Law Courses
- Date & time
- 22Aug 2026 (Sat)16:00 - 17:00 Free
- Type of Event
- In-person Attendance
- Venue
- Room 301, 3/F, HKU SPACE Admiralty Learning Centre, Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong
Dr. Devin Lin
Dr. Lin is a Program Director at HKU SPACE and a practicing lawyer at a leading local firm in Shenzhen. He is qualified in both the People's Republic of China (PRC) and California. Prior to joining HKU SPACE, Dr. Lin taught at a leading law school in China and gained valuable experience working in the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
- Enquiry
- 2520 4665 (studylaw@hkuspace.hku.hk)
- Relevant Programmes
Join us for an insightful seminar on Hong Kong's Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (Cap. 650), which came into effect on 20 January 2026. This session explores the complex intersection between mandated reporting duties and the real-world challenges facing families—particularly caregivers of children with special educational needs (SEN), such as ADHD or autism. For these families, stress-related behavioural or emotional outbursts can sometimes be misinterpreted as signs of abuse, raising critical questions about the law's application and impact.
We will examine:
(i) how the legal threshold of "suspected abuse" operates in everyday practice,
(ii) caregivers' legitimate anxieties about being misreported and the corresponding need for robust safeguards,
(iii) advocacy efforts calling for preventive, targeted support—including parenting training, financial subsidies, and community respite services—to complement compliance and better protect vulnerable families.
Language: English, supplemented with Chinese
