아동학대에 대한 교회의 인식과 대처 방안에 대한 연구

A Study of Awareness of Child Abuse and Response in Korean Church

Despite the high prevalence of child abuse in South Korea, child abuse has largely evaded public and professional attention until recently. Child abuse is egregiously underreported, especially when it occurs in the home. The main abusers are parents and other guardians, and child abuse is often confused with child discipline, which itself has been long considered a private, family matter. The tougher child protection laws passed in 2013 thus designated those in 24 professions as mandatory reporters. Clergy were not included, but their unique position to report and intervene should not be overlooked. First it is the biblical teaching to protect children. Second, the church is one of few public spaces in which the whole family participates, and is highly influential on family values. Third, abused victims in Christian family need special care for wounded spirits. The present study takes an important first step to investigate the church’s role in preventing child abuse and helping families heal in its aftermath. 298 seminarians serving at local churches were surveyed for their exposure to child abuse, their definitions of child abuse, their willingness to report, and their opinions on whether and how churches should intervene in child abuse incidents.