[Reporter’s Notebook] A Society That Fails to Teach 'Parental Qualifications'

"If the parents have not changed, sending the child back home only leads to repeated tragedy."

A child abuse victim whom I met recently still suffers from the repeated abuse experienced during childhood, even as an adult. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 16 out of every 100 abused children are sent back to their homes without any change in their parents, and they suffer from repeated abuse.

The current system treats child abuse solely as an incident. Once a report is filed, an investigation is conducted, and the parents are punished through the court, the case is closed on paper. After the legal judgment is delivered, the child is sent back to the parents' home, only to face the reality of abuse once again.

To break the cycle of abuse, parents must change. Temporarily separating abusive parents from their children or punishing them, without fundamentally considering what healthy parenting is, is merely a stopgap measure. Our society has focused on urging people to "become parents" to boost the birth rate, but has not seriously questioned or taught what it means to be a qualified parent.

In Finland, a public healthcare institution called 'Neuvola' offers a program managed by specialized nurses who oversee the health and development of both the child and parents from the moment of pregnancy until the child enters school. Neuvola comprehensively fulfills the roles of an obstetrics clinic, children's hospital, and mental health center, effectively providing parental education from the very beginning of pregnancy.

Parental education programs also exist in South Korea. The Gender Equality and Family Ministry’s family centers and the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Childcare Support Centers offer educational programs on communication, parenting methods, and establishing parental roles to help people become better parents. However, participation in these programs requires individuals to apply voluntarily. As a result, it is often those who are already good parents who seek out these programs to become even better, rather than those who truly need the education.

It is necessary to change the system so that parental education takes place simultaneously with pregnancy or childbirth, as seen in overseas cases. There is no need to create a new institution like Finland; it is sufficient to actively utilize existing programs during pregnancy or early childhood, when parental interest and motivation are at their highest.

What if we made parental education a prerequisite for receiving government cash benefits such as parental allowances or child benefits during this period? While there is a widespread perception that it is a loss not to apply for allowances, many people are unaware that parental education even exists. By linking the two, we could establish parental education as a universal system in our society, rather than relying solely on individual motivation.