Chinese State Media Reports Abuses in Youth Correction Centers

A Chinese state media report has exposed beatings and sexual assaults at youth correction centres, where teenagers are subjected to harsh quasi-military training. The report details how some camps disguise physical punishment as 'gratitude education' or 'military education'. @SCMPNews reported that these revelations have led to calls for better supervision and monitoring of the institutions.

Chinese teenagers dressed in camouflage uniforms express gratitude in front of cameras at a youth correction centre, but the off-camera reality involves abuse. According to the state media report, teenagers at these centres are beaten or sexually assaulted. The institutions accept teenagers who are rebellious, weary of studying, addicted to playing electronic games, or suffer from depression.

The centres charge between 8,000 and 20,000 yuan (US$1,200 and US$3,000) a month to correct the behaviour of students in a quasi-military style. This information comes from the news magazine Ban Yue Tan, a mouthpiece of the Communist Party. @SCMPNews reported that such schools generally operate on this fee structure for their corrective programs.

Youngsters take part in group training during a summer camp in Beijing, as captured in a photo by Xinhua. The report highlights how some camps use physical punishment under the guise of educational methods. These practices have been documented in the state media exposure published on April 23, 2026.