Building social trust

THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WHEN IT is considered risky to be a good Samaritan.

A survey, jointly organized by Capital University of Economics and Business, Renmin University of China and Central University of Finance and Economics, has found that the root cause of people's reluctance to go to the help of others is a lack of trust between residents.

The survey shows that more than 60 percent of respondents said that a helping hand should be extended to an elderly person in need, but more than 84 percent believed it too risky to offer help, because of the number of helpers who had been blackmailed in the past.