An NGO on Sunday said many parents are still unclear about an incoming law which makes it mandatory to report child abuse, adding that authorities should step up efforts to explain the legislation which comes into effect next year.

The Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong polled over 2,500 parents from last July to November in a survey which found that two-thirds of them did not fully understand the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance.

Albert So, a lawyer who has been assisting the YMCA in holding activities regarding the legislation, said parents may not have had the chance to read up on the changes.

“There are also lots of parents that are not local. They may be coming from the other jurisdictions, for example, some overseas ethnic minorities or people coming from mainland China,” he said.

"Due to the cultural difference, [non-local parents] may not know about the situation of current legislation of Hong Kong," he said, adding more explanatory work, such as holding seminars and relevant activities, would improve the situation.

The survey also revealed that almost 80 percent of the parents polled experienced mood swings when disciplining their children, and that about 30 percent of them believed a certain level of physical punishment could change their children’s behaviour.

YMCA’s coordinating secretary Phoebe Sze says punishment has serious impacts on child development and should be discouraged.

"We don't agree about using punishment to our children. It will harm their self-image in building their self-confidence, and may discourage their relationship with others. This would [also] discourage the children's exploration abilities.

It called on parents to be more aware of their own emotions when taking care of their children and to seek help when needed.