Efforts to Prevent Child Abuse
Effortsfor the Nation and Local Government to Make- The nation and local governments shall take the following measures to prevent and preclude child abuse from happening (Article 22, paragraph 1 of the Child Welfare Act, and Article 23, paragraph 1 of the Enforcement Decree of the Child Welfare Act).
· Establish and enact various policies to prevent and preclude child abuse
· Factual survey, research, education, and promotion to prevent and preclude child abuse
· Establish and manage a system to report child abuse
· Protect and treat the victimized child and support his/her family
· Build a cooperative system among relevant institutions to prevent and preclude child abuse
· Develop, manage, and operate educational programs for persons obliged to report child abuse cases
· Guide and oversee child welfare facilities and institutions that prevent and preclude child abuse
- The National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) performs the following tasks to activate child abuse prevention projects (Article 22, paragraph 6 of the Child Welfare Act, and Article 23, paragraph 3 of the Enforcement Decree of the Child Welfare Act).
· Supports specialized child protection institutions
· Researches and issues data on child abuse prevention projects
· Establishes linkage systems to fulfill child abuse prevention projects effectively
· Develops and evaluates programs for child abuse prevention projects
· Assigns employees in specialized child protection institutions and shelters for abused and victimized children, provides occupational courses for public officials specializing in child abuse, and educates and promotes child abuse prevention
· Establishes and manages the computerized system for specialized child protection institution
· Supports capacity building for employees working in child welfare facilities, and institutions preventing child abuse and protecting victimized children
· International exchanges to prevent child abuse and protect victimized children
· Produces and provides statistics on child abuse prevention and protection for victimized children
※ If required to fulfill the above tasks, the head of the central administrative agency concerned and the Special City Mayor, Metropolitan City Mayor, Provincial Governor, and Special Self-Governing Provincial Governor (hereinafter referred to as “Mayors and Governors”) or the head of Si/Gun/Gu, or the head of the NCRC or specialized child protection institution may utilize the information or data of child abuse on the national e-information system for child abuse (Article 28-2 of the Child Welfare Act).
Installation of Emergency Phones- The Minister of Health and Welfare, Mayor, Governor, or Head of Si/Gun/Gu shall install and operate emergency phones with separate lines at the specialized child protection institution to prevent child abuse and receive reports quickly (Article 22, paragraph 2 of the Child Welfare Act, and Article 24, paragraph 1 of the Enforcement Decree of the Child Welfare Act).
- Emergency phones shall be operated 24/7 with a unified number (☎ +82-112) nationwide (Article 24, paragraph 2 of the Child Welfare Act)
Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse- To promote the healthy growth of children and raise the nation’s awareness of child abuse prevention, November 19 is designated as the Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse every year (Article 23, paragraph 1 of the Child Welfare Act).
- Therefore, the nation and local governments shall make efforts to hold and promote events that fit the purpose above for a week, starting from the Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse (Article 23, paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Child Welfare Act).
Education for Persons Obliged to Report Child Abuse- The head of the central administrative agency concerned shall include an hour-long course informing ways to prevent child abuse and roles the person obliged to report must fulfill for the person to obtain a certificate or participate in refresher training (Article 26, paragraph 1 of the Child Welfare Act, and Article 26, paragraph 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Child Welfare Act).
※ For more information on the person obliged to report child abuse, visit < Child Abuse – Procedures and Measures in Case of Child Abuse – Report/Accuse >.
Recommending the Child Abuse Assailant to Receive Counseling or Education- The mayor, governor, head of Si/Gun/Gu, head of the NCRC, or the specialized child protection institution may recommend the child abuse assailant to receive counseling, education, psychological treatment, or other necessary support (former part of Article 29-2 of the Child Welfare Act).
- Unless there are justifiable reasons to decline, the child abuse assailant shall comply with the request and faithfully participate in receiving counseling, education, and psychological treatment (Latter Part of Article 29-2 of the Child Welfare Act).
Efforts by the Parents, Etc.※ How do we Properly Discipline our Children?
- There is no need to strictly discipline children whenever a problem or conflict occurs. All you have to do is ask nicely if your relationship with the child is firm and reliable.
- Parents tend to speak bluntly to their children. Please don’t forget to ask nicely and with respect to your children.
- However, if the child doesn’t change his/her behavior even after being asked nicely, it is good to speak in the following manner in an even tone yet adamantly.
· “OO. I'm afraid leaving your room unclean may be a problem. It will make other people unhappy, because other people will have to take the time to clean your mess for you. It’s best if you clean up right after you’re done with something, OK? I'm sure you can do it.
· Tell your child about the situation and exactly what he/she did wrong. Make sure not to let your child feel that he/she is a bad person, but that what he/she did could be a problem. Be careful not to lower your child’s self-esteem or make things personal.
· Do not raise your voice, but let your child know that you are serious about solving the problem or situation. Don’t intimidate your child by saying, “I’m furious,” or “You make me mad.” Try to say, “I’m hurt,” “I'm worried,” or “I’m tired,” instead.
· Explain the reason. Explain the reason why your child’s behavior could be a problem at class or interfering with your work. Tell him/her concretely “about why.”
· Explaining concretely what your want your child to do is important.
※ What is the best substitute for physical punishment?
1) Tell your child clearly about what behavior and guidelines you expect. Check whether your child can achieve the goals realistically and whether you haven’t lowered his/her self-esteem.
2) Let your child participate in making rules.
3) Make sure the rules are followed continuously, fairly, and calmly.
4) Give your child a chance to participate and achieve the activities, whether it is a class, an action program, or so forth.
5) Keep track of how your child is doing. If your child is having trouble, assist him/her. If your child is doing a good job, present a new task.
< Ministry of Health and Welfare, Proper Child-Rearing to Prevent Child Abuse >