아동학대 판단척도(Child Abuse Assessment Tool)의 활용에 관한 연구

A Study on the Application of Child Abuse Assessment Tool

우리는 오래도록 아동학대를 문제로 생각하지 않는 사회에서 살아 왔다. 특히 가정 내에서의 아동학대가 사회문제가 된다는 생각 자체가 20세기 미국이 발견해낸 성과다. 당시 학대 받는 아동을 최초로 도운 단체는 뉴욕의 동물보호단체였다. 가정 내에서의 아동은 동물보다 못한 취급을 받아 왔다는 점이 아동학대 문제의 뿌리를 짐작케 해 준다. 아동학대는 특이한 범죄가 아니다. 우리 중 많은 수가 이미 해오던 일이다. 그러다가 범죄로 규정되었고, 처벌이 두려워서 지금은 덜하고 있을 뿐이다. 그렇다고 우리의 본성이 다 바뀌어서 대부분의 성인들은 아동학대를 하지 않는데, 몇몇 사회화가 잘못된 성인이나 사는데 찌든 부모들이 무지막지하게 애들을 때리고 있는 것일까. 그렇게 생각하는 한 아동학대 문제의 해법은 잘 보이지 않을 수도 있다. 아동학대가 우리들 본성에 알게 모르게 오래 전부터 자리 잡아 온 행위라는 점을 인정하는 데서 해법 찾기를 시작해야 한다.

The definition of ‘maltreatment’ includes a wide range of illegal acts committed to children and resulted in physical harms on their body and mind. The term ‘child abuse’ which is extensively employed in describing parents’ malicious acts on their kids is, in a certain sense, defined as one of ‘maltreatments’. Thus, by using the term ‘maltreatment’, we may not clarify what kind of act we want to deal with. We need more practical and clearer definition if we talk about a specific act of an adult, and to have a correct understanding of its meaning and implications. I propose that we should employ several terms to depict various illegal acts done by parents according to their severity or influence upon the welfare of a child. For example, with ‘child abuse’, I want to define a criminal maltreatment upon a child, and which should entail a penalty of imprisonment for the actor. To the contrary, regarding ‘illegal treatment’ or ‘reasonable punishment’, I do not think that the society make harsher response to the actor. It would suffice that the authorities, in addition to giving a warning for the actor, order preventive measures to the parent taking consideration of the welfare of a child. Certainly, a reasonable punishment is not a criminal act and we do not need to impose any deterrent measures to the actor. Child Abuse Assessment Tool is an index that we have invented for measuring the severeness of an act of maltreatment. If it amounts to between the range of 6 and 81, we may conclude that there was severe maltreatment or a child abuse for which a criminal sanction should be imposed. However, the CAAT scores under 6 or even under 2, a specific act resulted in that number should be defined as an illegal act or a resonable punishment. The CAAT will help ordinary parents or caretakers correctly screen their everyday abusive act on children with or without intent, and better understand which kind of act they can do against minors and which they cannot.