Last year, the number of cases judged as child abuse was approximately 24,500. Of these, 87% were cases of abuse by family members such as parents or relatives. The Ministry of Health and Welfare published the '2024 Child Abuse Annual Report' containing this information on the 29th.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, there were 50,242 reports of child abuse last year, an increase of 3.5% (1,720 cases) from a year earlier. Among the reported cases, the number judged as child abuse after investigation by child abuse dedicated officials was 24,492, which is a decrease of 4.8% (1,247 cases) compared to the previous year.
The number of child abuse reports has shown an increasing trend over the past five years. The proportion of reports made by the child themselves and by parents is gradually increasing each year, at 28% and 34%, respectively. However, the actual number of cases judged has decreased for three consecutive years since 2022.
Among the child abuse cases, emotional abuse was the most prevalent at 11,466 cases, followed by ▲physical abuse (4,625 cases) ▲neglect (1,800 cases) ▲sexual abuse (619 cases) ▲multiple abuse (5,982 cases).
The abuser was most often a parent, accounting for 84.1%. The proportion of abuse by cohabiting partners or teachers (substitute caregivers) was 7%, and relatives accounted for 2.7%. Abuse by neighbors or strangers made up 6.2%, an increase of 2.4 percentage points from a year ago. The location where abuse occurred was predominantly 'within the home,' accounting for 82.9%.
There were 3,896 cases of 'recurring abuse' where child abuse was judged within the past five years. This represents 15.9% of all child abuse cases. However, the ministry noted, 'Among children who were abused in the previous year, the proportion who faced abuse again within a year is 8.7%, which is gradually decreasing.'
Thirty children died from child abuse last year, a decrease of 14 from the previous year (44). Of these, 70% were infants under the age of 6 (21 children), and 56.7% were under 36 months (17 children).
Yoon Su-hyun, head of the Child Abuse Response Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, 'To detect child abuse early and prevent serious incidents, it is important to create an environment where mandatory reporters such as teachers and medical personnel can report in a timely manner,' and added, 'We will review the reporting system for mandatory reporters and consider ways to enhance its activation.'