Uniquely Chinese Factors

<sup>Recently I have been looking into why children might be in orphanages.  I want to understand why many more children have been entering orphanages in China. I hope that by understanding why children may end up in the orphanage that I can find targeted art activities that can help them with any problems that may result from their unique cases.

The one-child policy.  Most people have heard of this policy in the People's Republic of China.  It restricts urban couples to only one child, allowing additional children in several cases such as twins, rural couples,ethnic minorities and couples who are both only children them selves.  Few are exempt from this law.  But many may not realize the impact this has on the number of children that are being abandoned and then put in orphanages.

Often girls are abandoned because parents desire a son.  Due to the one-child policy, they would have to pay if they were to have a daughter as well.  Up to a million orphans are abandoned each year in China, the majority being healthy girls.  I am curious  to see if there will be a larger ratio of girls to boys. In my case study, to be as accurate as possible, I wish to also account for gender. Especially with differences between how both genders are treated, they may react in a different manner to therapy. Perhaps through targeted activities I can help both overcome any barriers that restrict them.

~Anjani</sup>


Brian Woods, "The Dying Rooms Trust",  Population and Development Review, Sten Johansson and Ola Nygren, The Missing Girls of China: A New Demographic Account, 1991)