Study on the Factors Associated with Reporting Child Abuse in Seoul

Song Eeh-Eun
Research Fellow, Seoul Foundation of Women & Family

Abstract

This study explores the reasons why the report rate on child abuse does not increase in Seoul, examining the factors influencing the reporting of child abuse through the types of child abuse, public case management infrastructure, characteristics of child abuse, and roles of the Child Protection Agency and autonomous districts in Seoul.

To analyze the report rate of child abuse and to derive future policy directions, the study conducts interviews with the head and the eleven employees of the Child Protection Agency in Seoul. Also, the study collects six opinions from academic experts on child abuse in Korea. The study investigates characteristics of the trend of child abuse reporting rate in Seoul and each region, and the factors affecting the report of child abuse from the interview. Also, based on the justification that the report rate should be increased and on the opinions on the target report rate, we investigate the need for the link with resources, the role of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the specialized child protection agencies to increase the report rate on child abuse and the detection rate.

Based on the findings from this study, we propose a direction to promote child abuse reports and to improve child abuse education support policies in order to improve the child maltreatment victimization rate. Besides, we suggest a close collaboration between the child abuse reporting system and the welfare system within the child abuse prevention system that encompasses public case management