Children participate in a “Retrace the Long March Path” red-themed educational activity at the Wenzhou Youth and Children Center in Wenzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province, on May 30, 2026, to celebrate the upcoming International Children’s Day. Photo: VCG

Chinese authorities have jointly released guidelines with real-life cases to enhance minors’ ideological and behavioral education and promote inner moral cultivation, with priorities including to prevent distorted show-off of “coolness,” to maintain mental health, to resist internet addiction and to stay away from drugs, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday. 

The guidelines were jointly issued by China’s Supreme People’s Court, the Ministry of Education, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, and the All-China Women’s Federation, to implement laws protecting minors and preventing juvenile delinquency, uphold the fundamental mission of fostering virtue and cultivating talent, strengthen coordination among families, schools and society, and address minors’ behavioral and ideological problems at the source, according to Xinhua. 

The guidelines focus on ideological and behavioral risks that may emerge during minors’ development and identify 12 priorities for educational guidance, including preventing distortedly showing off “coolness” and promoting inner moral cultivation, as well as correcting excessive concern for “saving face” and abandoning vanity, per Xinhua. 

The guidelines also emphasize strengthening awareness of the rule of law and helping minors understand the boundaries of acceptable behaviors, while fostering empathy and cultivating sound moral values and character. 

At the same time, the guidelines require educational and guidance efforts to focus on preventing the development of a mindset of seeking gains without effort, strengthening awareness of rules, fostering a sound view on consumption and advocating thrift and frugality, as well as maintaining appropriate standards in choosing friends and encouraging friendships with people of good character, Xinhua reported. 

The guidelines also urged to teach adolescence to relieve negative emotions and pay attention to mental health; improve conflict resolution skills and avoid impulsive acts; resist internet addiction and use the internet in a scientific and civilized manner; stay away from drugs and psychotropic substances, and cherish life and health.

Relevant departments will make full use of the guidelines, adhere to a combined approach of education, guidance and protection, incorporate moral, ideological and behavioral guidance for minors into daily life, comprehensively safeguard minors’ physical and mental well-being, support their healthy growth and development, and cultivate socialist builders and successors who are well-rounded in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor education, according to Xinhua. 

Global Times