Gwanak-gu Accelerates Efforts to Create a City Where Children Dream and Are Happy

Joint Campaign Conducted with Seoul Nambu Child Protection Agency and Gwanak Police Station to Prevent Child Abuse
KT&G Welfare Foundation Hosts 'Reading Golden Bell' Event with Local Children's Centers, Bringing Joy to Kids...

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's '2022 Annual Report on Child Abuse,' a total of 46,103 child abuse reports were received last year, and 27,971 cases, accounting for 60.7%, were confirmed as child abuse. Among them, 50 children lost their precious lives due to abuse.

Recently, the entire country has been abuzz over the low birth rate. Local governments are making various efforts to increase the birth rate while also striving to create a happy living environment for the children born.

In response, Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Junhee) is making every effort to ensure that children can grow up safely and happily.

First, the district is working on multiple fronts to prevent child abuse. This year, it established a 24-hour continuous response system for child abuse in cooperation with the police station and child protection agencies to enable rapid initial response and active protection measures for abused children.

Additionally, the district is actively engaged in various child abuse prevention initiatives, including a full survey of high-risk children aged 3 to 5, an artificial intelligence (AI) child drawing psychological test service, and child abuse prevention campaigns.

Recently, Gwanak-gu conducted a joint child abuse prevention campaign called ‘Child Abuse Separate Collection Site’ together with the Seoul Southern Child Protection Agency and Gwanak Police Station.

During the campaign, Gwanak-gu operated ▲a child abuse OX quiz ▲the child abuse separate collection site ▲a kids-only child abuse prevention zone; the Seoul Southern Child Protection Agency provided ▲positive parenting guidance and received parental pledges; and Gwanak Police Station distributed ▲child abuse prevention promotional materials and offered photo opportunities with Podori and Posuni mascots, running various experiential and promotional booths.

In particular, the OX quiz conducted by the district attracted residents' attention. The district attached phrases describing abusive acts such as violence and neglect to actual trash and held a unique experiential quiz where participants threw the trash into one of four prepared separate collection bins (▲physical abuse ▲emotional abuse ▲sexual abuse ▲neglect abuse).

A resident who participated in the quiz with their child said, “It was good that children could easily and enjoyably understand child abuse. Especially, the concept of separating and discarding abusive acts like sorting trash was very impressive,” sharing their thoughts on the campaign.

Furthermore, on November 20, the district, together with the KT&G Welfare Foundation and Gwanak-gu local children's centers, held the ‘Reading Golden Bell’ event, bringing joy to local children.

This event was part of the ‘Book Support Project’ conducted by the KT&G Welfare Foundation over the past year for children at Gwanak-gu local children's centers. About 400 children from 22 local children's centers in Gwanak-gu participated, showcasing excellent book reports and knowledge about books.

A child who participated in the Reading Golden Bell said, “It was an opportunity to increase my interest in books and build confidence in reading.”

Mayor Park Junhee stated, “Child abuse includes not only physical abuse but also emotional abuse, neglect, and any acts or environments that hinder a child's development,” adding, “We will spare no support to ensure our children can grow up safely and happily.”