Emotional Abuse and Neglect Increased by 40% in 2 Years... Exploded in Homes and Schools Everywhere

Recent 18,000 Cases of Child Neglect
Schools and Daycare Centers Also Exceed 2,000 Cases
84% of Abusers Are Parents

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee]Choi Heesung (15, pseudonym) was left alone in a house located in Gangnam-gu from March to August this year and was unable to properly maintain consciousness. With help from those around him, the police were notified, and subsequently, Choi’s mother was handed over to the prosecution on the 29th of last month. The parents of 6-year-old Choi Siyoon were investigated by the police for deliberately showing marital fights in front of the child. In July, Kim Sooyoung (13, pseudonym) was kicked out of the house. The reason was that he ignored his mother’s request to buy tteokbokki.

Emotional abuse and neglect, forms of psychological abuse, are occurring throughout society including homes and schools.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s “Status of Child Abuse Victim Protection” on the 1st, cases of emotional abuse and neglect of children increased from 779 in 2018 to 1,086 in 2020.

Child abuse cases also showed an increasing trend, rising from 24,604 in 2018 to 30,045 in 2019, and 30,905 in 2020. Looking at the statistics over two years, neglect occurred most frequently at home (17,989 cases), followed by schools (1,344 cases) and daycare centers (843 cases). Additionally, abuse of children was reported in lodging facilities, religious institutions, and other places.

Some cases escalate to physical abuse resulting in the death of the child. Last year, 40 children lost their lives due to abuse. Abuse cases also increased by 22% from the previous year, totaling 37,605. Among all abusers, 83.7% were parents, which is 1.6 percentage points higher than in 2020 (82.1%).

A female youth officer at a frontline police station in Seoul stated, "Parents often avoid police investigations by claiming they were disciplining their children," and added, "Victimized children, being young, often cannot clearly express their intentions."

Another frontline police officer said, "Awareness of child abuse has recently increased, leading to more reports," and added, "Especially for middle school students, there seems to be cases of neglect because parents think they can stay alone at home."

Professor Jung Jaehoon of the Department of Social Welfare at Seoul Women’s University said, "As sensitivity to the concept of neglect increases, behaviors previously not considered neglect may now be classified as neglectful abuse," and added, "Neglect requires more careful observation than typical physical child abuse. Besides mandatory reporters, neighbors and the community should maintain continuous and attentive interest to maximize prevention effects."

Professor Jung Ikjung of the Department of Social Welfare at Ewha Womans University said, "It is desirable to fulfill parenting responsibilities considering not only the child’s age but also developmental level and maturity," and added, "There is a need for clear awareness improvement regarding child abuse. Based on the Child Special Act, punishment should be followed by opportunities for education and counseling therapy."