Citation

Doe SSJ. Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 2000; 22(3-4): 231-236.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0190-7409(00)00077-3

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In Korean culture, children are taught to be obedient and to live up to adults' expectations, quietly carrying out their important duties like schoolwork. In such an adult-centered culture that has largely ignored children's opinions and perceptions, corporeal punishment has been accepted as a disciplinary action often employed by parents and teachers. Until recently, little public attention has been paid to children at risk of being abused in the name of disciplining. In recent years, child maltreatment emerged as a social problem in Korean society as the country accelerated its industrialization and societal structures and the family system have undergone many changes. Media coverage of child abuse incidents widely sensitized the public to abused children's plight. With this media coverage and the help of various civic and non-profit organizations' child welfare advocacy efforts, a national level public policy for preventing child abuse is near completion.