Domestic Violence and Spousal Abuse Decrease, but Child Abuse Experiences Persist

Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Announces 'Domestic Violence Survey' Results
10.3% of Women and 6.2% of Men Experience Violence from Spouses
Child Violence Rates Same as Three Years Ago

Most Victims Seek Help from Relatives and Friends
"Domestic Violence Is Not a Personal Issue" 81.5%

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] While domestic violence by spouses has decreased, child abuse has remained at a similar level to the past three years.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced the results of the '2019 Domestic Violence Survey' on the 26th. The survey was conducted nationwide from late August to early November last year, targeting 9,060 men and women aged 19 and older. The domestic violence survey is a nationally approved statistic conducted every three years since 2004.

In the past year, 10.3% of women reported experiencing violence from their spouses, a decrease compared to 12.1% in 2016. By type of violence, emotional violence was 8.1%, sexual violence 3.4%, physical violence 2.1%, and economic violence 1.2%. For men, 6.2% reported experiencing violence from their spouses, down from 8.6% in 2016. By type, emotional violence was 5.8%, physical violence 0.9%, economic violence 0.8%, and sexual violence 0.1%.

The main reasons for violence against spouses for both women and men were "because the spouse ignores me or does not listen to me" (women 63.6%, men 63.9%) and "because the spouse does not properly fulfill their duties and obligations as a spouse" (women 20.2%, men 15.5%).

Awareness Rate of Support Facilities for Victims of Domestic Violence (Provided by Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Unit: %)

Most victims did not seek help from the police, the Women's Emergency Hotline (1366), or domestic violence counseling centers at the time of or after the violence. Those who did seek help mostly turned to family or relatives (7.2%) and neighbors or friends (3.6%). The rates for police were 2.3%, Women's Emergency Hotline 0.4%, and domestic violence counseling centers 0.4%, which were low. The main reasons for not seeking help from the police were "thinking the violence was not serious" (32.8%) and "just wanting to get through that moment" (26.2%).

According to the survey, there was a difference in the experience of violence by spouses depending on who had the decision-making authority over 'property management.' When couples discussed and managed property together, the experience rate of violence was lower compared to when one partner took the lead in managing the property.

◆Child Abuse That Has Not Decreased= While violence by spouses has decreased, child abuse remained the same as in 2016. Among those raising children under 18, 27.6% reported having abused a child in the past year. By type of violence, emotional violence was 24.0%, physical violence 11.3%, and neglect 2.0%.

The rate of experiencing violence from family members other than spouses, such as parents, siblings, or relatives, was 4.7%. By type, emotional violence was 4.2%, physical violence 1.9%, economic violence 0.4%, and sexual violence 0.1%. Elder abuse was 3.8%, nearly half of the 7.3% reported in 2016.

◆"Domestic Violence Is Not a Personal Issue"= Awareness of domestic violence has generally increased. The proportion of respondents who disagreed with the statement "Domestic violence is a personal issue to be resolved within the family" was 81.5%, up from 77.6% in 2016. Additionally, 94.7% of respondents said it is appropriate to report witnessing child abuse by neighbors, and 88.3% said it is appropriate to report witnessing spousal violence among neighbors.

Nine out of ten people said they would report to the police if they became aware of domestic violence, including child and elder abuse, even if the victims were not family members.

There was a high response rate indicating that government policies are necessary to reduce domestic violence. Minister Lee Jung-ok of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated, "Even when a spouse commits violent acts or afterward, the rate of seeking help from private relationships such as family or friends is still high compared to public support systems like the police or the Women's Emergency Hotline 1366. We will work to lower psychological barriers to accessing support institutions and strengthen accessibility to public support systems."