Child Abuse Increases
Child abuse is increasingly becoming a serious social problem in Korea.As of the end of March this year, according to sources on May 7, 119 cases of child abuse have been reported to the authorities, which is 65.2 percent higher than the same period of last year.
Out of all cases reported, 54.2 percent of mistreated children belong to single-parent families and most abusers were fathers. In addition about half of the abusive fathers are jobless and/or alcoholics.
The number of child abuse cases has been remarkably increasing for the past three years from 79 cases in 1996 to 159 in 1997 to 367 in 1998.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to distribute 'guidebooks for handling child abuse' throughout the nation in a move to fight cruelty to children.
Dosun Jang:jdsmh@joongang.co.kr
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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