보건복지부 영문홈페이지

 5,246 cases took place at home in 2011 (86.6%) and 5,039 cases were committed by parents (83.1%), taking up the most of the cases.

When it comes to types of child victims’ families, 44% (2,666 cases) were caused in single

parent families such as single father family, single mother family, and unmarried single parent

family. Given that single parent families account for 8.7% of all types of families, when a child is

raised by one parent, there is high possibility of child abuse taking place due to parenting burden

and stress. 

* The percentage of single parent families: Number of households estimated by the make-up of families and the number of family members (National Statistical Office, 2010)  

Child abuse in child-related facilities such as nursery has increased by 19% compared to 2010.

Among types of facilities, particularly, the number of child abuse cases at nursery has greatly

increased from 100 in 2010 to 159 in 2011, by 59%.

Child abuse was committed by women (76.3%) more than by men (76.3%) at facilities and

45.4% of those who have committed child abuse turned out to have problems with their attitude

and ways of taking care of children and by type of child abuse, physical abuse takes up the

highest percentage of 24.4%.

Abuse against infants aged below 3 has been rapidly increasing from 455 in 2009, to 530 in 2010

and to 708 cases in 2011. Among types of child abuse, negligence accounts for the most part

(48.1%, 454 cases).   

When it comes to child abuser, there were more women (66.7%) than men (32.3). Younger

people in their 20s and 30s (69.7%) have abused children more than middle aged people and

86.5% of child abuse have been committed by parents. Given this, it can be assumed that child

abuse such as negligence takes place due to young mothers’ parenting stress, etc.   

The number of re-occurred abuse cases that were re-reported and confirmed as child abuse after

the intervention by a child protection agency was over when it was reported at first was 563 in

2011, accounting for 9.3% of the total child abuse cases.  

While the number of child abuse cases reoccurred within 6 months after the first case took

place was 100 (17.8%), the number of reoccurred cases between 6 months and less than 2

years after the first case was 247 (43.9%) and the number of cases that reoccurred more than 2

years after the first case was 216 (38.3%), indicating that long-term care by a child protection

agency is needed for abusers and abused children.   

Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to make efforts to prevent child abuse inflicted by parents

such as reinforcing parents’ education, etc. by paying attention to the pattern of child abuse

increasing at home each year. 

While encouraging and supporting parents to complete the education when providing support for pregnancy, child birth and nurturing, the ministry will strengthen the “itinerant education on child nurturing and education by district and area” for expecting parents and parents with infants and babies.

The ministry will operate the parents’ classroom program in cooperation with the Healthy Family Support Center (139 offices) and promote the parents’ education linked to the support program* for pregnant mothers and children run by community health centers.

* Nutrition plus for pregnant mothers and infants and babies, the iron supplement support program for pregnant mothers and the mother breast milk feeding clinic, etc.

In addition, the itinerant education will be carried out in 16 cities and counties through the Korean Human Resource Development Institute for Health and Welfare and the child protection agency.

For the prevention of reoccurring child abuse at home and restoration of the functions of families, “the abused child healing and protection shelter (one under test-operation)*” and the “family healing service” which have been run starting from this year will be expanded

* Emotional healing, family relation improvement and affection enhancement program, etc. are provided for children who are suffering serious trauma due to abuse at residential healing and protection facilities

The ministry will establish the “system for early discovery of child abuse” to discover a high risk

group exposed to re-occurring child abuse with the discovery of a child abuse risk group and

case management as well as the monitoring of re-occurring abuse through regional child centers

(3,802 centers) and dream start centers (181 centers). 

In order to eradicate child abuse at facilities such as nursery, etc. and create a safe environment, the ministry is strengthening actions to uproot child abuse and will be facilitating the operation of regional monitoring groups, etc. and participation by communities.

For the eradication of child abuse at facilities such as nursery and the creation of a safe environment, the ministry prepared the guideline for the suspension of aid to nurseries where child abuse has taken place (Feb. 2011) and strengthened the requirements for nursery directors’ qualification such as mandatory occupational education, etc. (Dec. 2011) in 2011.

This year, the ministry will steadily carry out the child abuse prevention training* for all childcare teachers and workers around the nation and facilitate the participation by local communities such as the operation of parents’ monitoring groups and local monitoring groups participated by the private sector and the government.

*Trained 19,000 persons (2010)-> 40,000 persons (2011) -> will train around 40,000 persons (the plan for 2012)

Along with such measures above, the government will press ahead with the revision of child-related laws that will include stricter limit to employment of child abusers, temporary actions for abused children and protection measures, etc.

Act on Child Welfare will be revised that will limit the employment and operation of child facilities

by those who have received sentence or protective disposition due to child abuse for 10 years

from the day of the closure of sentence, grace, or exemption and if it is violated, they will be

sentenced to less than one year of imprisonment or the penalty of less than 10 million won.  

Furthermore, Ministry of Justice is working to enact the Special Act on Procedures of Handling of Child Abuse Cases (tentatively named)* regarding the punishment and protective disposition procedures for abusers.

* It defines the child abuse crime, the protective disposition of abusers, the temporary action for abused children, the child abuse investigation system, the dispatch of a case by prosecutor and court, etc.

An advance notice for the enforcement regulation of the Infant Care Act that includes the prohibition on child abuse and sexual violence acts at nursery was made.

* (Advance notice of legislation on 17 Apr. 2012) Suspension and shut down of facilities when child abuse or sexual violence takes place

The revision of the Infant Care Act that requires the disclosure of the list of nurseries that have received administrative punishment due to child abuse, etc. and the list and history of nursery owners and teachers that have committed child abuse will be also carried out (end of Dec.).

Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Rim, Chae Min) held a seminar at an office #421 of the

National Assembly Library from 14:00 pm on 4 June (Mon.) under the theme of “Today and

Tomorrow of Korean Children based on the status of child abuse” while presenting the 2011

report of the national child abuse status.

Ministry of Health and Welfare will reinforce legal and institutional tools by sharing roles with

Ministry of Justice to put an end to child abuse and prevent reoccurring of child abuse and carry

out various policy measures such as the strengthening of parents’ education to prevent child

abuse, the improvement of public notion of child abuse and promotion as well as the preparation

of programs to prevent reoccurring child abuse cases.