Stephen McDonnell

David, what a beautiful thing your son is doing for you. The obvious question is, were you ever in any doubt of taking it from your son in case he needed both kidneys in later life?

David, what a beautiful thing your son is doing for you. The obvious question is, were you ever in any doubt of taking it from your son in case he needed both kidneys in later life?

David, what a beautiful thing your son is doing for you. The obvious question is, were you ever in any doubt of taking it from your son in case he needed both kidneys in later life?

He tells me five things a day. Does he?

He tells me five things a day. Does he?

He tells me five things a day. Does he?

The scene in front of me is being repeated right across China today, and in fact every day. Parents wait outside the gates of a school to pick up their kids. They feel the need to protect their children and don't want to risk anything going wrong if they were to make their own way home on, say, public transport.

The scene in front of me is being repeated right across China today, and in fact every day. Parents wait outside the gates of a school to pick up their kids. They feel the need to protect their children and don't want to risk anything going wrong if they were to make their own way home on, say, public transport.

But such fears have only heightened lately, with schools being targeted by those seeking to violently take out revenge on society for a range of grievances. This is all making for some pretty grim introspection, as people here ask what's going wrong with Chinese society that's causing such bloody, desperate attention-seeking.

But such fears have only heightened lately, with schools being targeted by those seeking to violently take out revenge on society for a range of grievances. This is all making for some pretty grim introspection, as people here ask what's going wrong with Chinese society that's causing such bloody, desperate attention-seeking.

Other parents tell us they're not so worried because the number of recent mass attacks in China has been statistically small. George Magnus, a research associate at Oxford University's China Centre, says that the relatively small number of mass killings doesn't reflect the overall build-up of tensions, which seems undeniable.

Other parents tell us they're not so worried because the number of recent mass attacks in China has been statistically small. George Magnus, a research associate at Oxford University's China Centre, says that the relatively small number of mass killings doesn't reflect the overall build-up of tensions, which seems undeniable.

What are being referred to here as revenge on society attacks are not new in China. But this year, there have been so many that they've been hard to keep track of. On 11 November, there was dismay as footage spread of a 62-year-old man driving his car into those exercising outside a sports stadium in Zhuhai, killing at least 35 people who'd been jogging or dancing outdoors.

What are being referred to here as revenge on society attacks are not new in China. But this year, there have been so many that they've been hard to keep track of. On 11 November, there was dismay as footage spread of a 62-year-old man driving his car into those exercising outside a sports stadium in Zhuhai, killing at least 35 people who'd been jogging or dancing outdoors.

Police said he'd been unhappy with his divorce settlement. Days later, another car was being driven into children outside their primary school in Chengde, Hunan. After the vehicle stopped, locals smashed in its windows, then bashed the driver and held the man down until police could get there. And on and on the list goes.

Police said he'd been unhappy with his divorce settlement. Days later, another car was being driven into children outside their primary school in Chengde, Hunan. After the vehicle stopped, locals smashed in its windows, then bashed the driver and held the man down until police could get there. And on and on the list goes.

Lynette Ong is a professor of political science at the University of Toronto.

Lynette Ong is a professor of political science at the University of Toronto.

With tension increasing in Chinese society, the government has also been criticised for not providing enough counselling services for those in distress. People feel they can't turn to the courts because they're seen as inefficient and only loyal to the party. With state-controlled media, it mostly won't air people's stories if they make high-level officials look bad.

With tension increasing in Chinese society, the government has also been criticised for not providing enough counselling services for those in distress. People feel they can't turn to the courts because they're seen as inefficient and only loyal to the party. With state-controlled media, it mostly won't air people's stories if they make high-level officials look bad.