8,156 Participants Last Year...
A 41% Increase Compared to the Previous Year
The scene from the "Visiting Violence Prevention Education" conducted last summer. Provided by Gwangju City
As new forms of violence such as digital sex crimes using deepfake technology, dating violence, and stalking are on the rise, Gwangju City's free "On-site Violence Prevention Education" program is receiving positive feedback.
Last year, Gwangju City conducted a total of 285 sessions of the "On-site Violence Prevention Education" program for private companies, social welfare facilities, cultural, arts, and sports organizations, and parents. The number of participants reached 8,156, marking a 41% increase compared to the previous year.
The range of education recipients is also diversifying. Moving beyond the traditional focus on children and adolescents, the program is being proactively strengthened to include university students and people in their 20s, as incidents of digital sex crimes and dating violence increase.
In fact, the number of university (including graduate) students who received education increased by 120% from 744 in 2022 to 1,638 in 2024, and education for people in their 20s rose by 184% from 663 in 2022 to 1,885 last year.
The "On-site Violence Prevention Education" program sends professional instructors directly to locations and times requested by citizens to provide education on the prevention of sexual violence, domestic violence, sexual harassment, prostitution, digital sex crimes, and dating violence. Since 2017, the city has been running this program in cooperation with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and this year, the Gwangju Foundation for Women and Family has been selected as the implementing agency.
Additionally, the city is focusing on expanding the foundation for violence prevention in the community by annually identifying new target groups that have been overlooked, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and immigrants. In 2022, education was provided to immigrants from the Koryoin Village; in 2023, to prospective teachers at universities and users of the Together Care Center; and in 2024, to the Silver Community within churches.
This year as well, new participants will be recruited on a rolling basis until October. Any citizen?including facilities, organizations, small groups, universities, and small businesses?can apply for violence prevention education. Inquiries and applications can be made through the Gwangju Foundation for Women and Family or online.
Lee Youngdong, Director of the Gender Equality and Family Bureau, stated on the 21st, "Violence prevention education is an important starting point for empowering individuals and families and building a robust safety net in the community," adding, "This year, we will actively identify blind spots in education and work to improve community awareness of violence prevention."
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