Abstract:The murder case of middle school students in Handan has sparked public discussion, with calls for severe punishment of the perpetrators. The case also raises public doubts about the legislation on the protection of minors, especially why the relatively complete system of legislation on the protection of minors has not been able to protect bullied juveniles from further harm. In the current legislation, the Law on the Protection of Minors mainly undertakes the function of protecting disadvantaged children and minors, and even general minors. It follows the principle of the best interests of the child and has formed a six-protection system: family protection, school protection, social protection, network protection, government protection, and judicial protection. However, in practice, the effectiveness of victim assistance in situations such as campus bullying is still unsatisfactory. Although the number of extreme cases ultimately leading to criminal trials has significantly decreased, the number of juveniles bullied is still increasing. This indicates that the effectiveness of the law in protecting vulnerable minors and disadvantaged children is not ideal. In theory, there is a growing advocacy for the law to move toward inclusive legislation, with calls to expand the legislative protection scope from disadvantaged children to all minors, which clearly does not match the difficulties encountered in practice. In view of this, it is necessary to re-understand the purpose and function of the law. In terms of system positioning, the Law on the Protection of Minors is the only specialized legislation to protect disadvantaged children and minors. Therefore, its protection for minors should take precedence over inclusiveness. The shift towards an inclusive law will weaken the overall rigidity of the provisions, resulting in a significant institutional gap in legislation on the protection of minors. The Law on the Protection of Minors should focus on protecting disadvantaged minors. In terms of specific rule optimization, to reduce legislative costs, it is necessary to focus on improving the protection measures of the law for disadvantaged minors, while following the existing system. This includes expanding the scope of protected minors, increasing government protection measures, and enhancing the practicality of the law. By adding triggering clauses and other means, the legal liability chapter, as well as relevant procedural mechanisms and the connection mechanism with other laws should be improved. In the long run, the Law on the Protection of Minors should not assume the construction function of a universal child welfare system. It should be divided into the Law on the Protection of Minors and the Law on the Welfare of Children. The former focuses on the protection of the right to protection for minors, while the latter focuses on the protection of the right to development and participation. This not only avoids the Law on the Protection of Minors becoming a toothless law, but also ensures the construction of a universal child welfare system.