Defining Domestic Abuse

If you search ‘domestic abuse’ in Google, you can easily find some definitions and criteria for it, and this can be helpful for people who actually don’t recognize if they are being abused or in turn, if they are mistreating their partners, children, or other family members. On the United Nations’ website, you can read its definition of domestic abuse as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. They also clarify that abuse can be physical, sexual, economic or psychological actions or threats and this can happen regardless of age and their relationship.

The Real State of Domestic Abuse in Korea

Since it is hard for kids than anyone to speak up about their vulnerable situations, they are the ones who need other people’s attention most and even more, a report, if needed. Last year, there was a case of a child abuse which led to huge public indignation. A 16-month-old baby girl died because of abuse and violence by her parents, and what was worse was there were more than one chance to rescue her from the inflict. Before her death, kindergarten teachers and a local doctor had respectively reported the violence after seeing her badly bruised body, but those reports were all neglected by the police, the child protection institution, and the Korean Holt International Children’s Services (the baby was adopted). It was found out the police had sent the parents back home with their child only after listening to the parents saying that the kid gets bruises easily, even by a small impact and it was only a small accident in home at the interview. And the other institutions that were involved also had put off their works and closed the investigation only after few calls with parents and never had tried to visit the house and see the kid in person. And the chances were lost like that, and after all the things happened to the small kid and after she died in pain without any help at that moment, they retrieved the situation subsequently.

This case gives us exactly the reason why child abuse, broadly domestic abuse, doesn’t disappear in Korean society. First and foremost, domestic violence is very hard to find out compared to other kinds of crimes. Unlike others that usually happen outside and leave clear signs after the crime so that other people can easily notice, domestic abuse mostly happens in home, covertly. Therefore, if the person directly involved doesn’t talk about it, it is really hard for others to know and give help. And this is also concerned with how people think about domestic abuse. As you can see in the result above, so many people still consider domestic abuse as a family event, so they think that only family members are part of it and they are the ones who should deal with it. However, domestic abuse is a serious social issue. Even, it is a very critical one that is hard to eradicate and a fatal one that is hard to end since it happens between close people. And after the crime it leaves the victim with severe trauma.

Secondly, how government agencies and related institutions tackle this issue leaves so much to be desired. After the child abuse incident was revealed, their inappropriate response in the process of report was also disclosed. However, this was not a single problem. First, police officers who were in charge of local domestic abuse cases had their difficulties in dealing with the report. They gave their reason of hard reporting and charging for the family. If a case of domestic abuse gets revealed because of the police’s report, it was likely for the family to blame the police or even worse, sue the police for calumny. So, if there was no evidence found until the end, for example no one conceded there was abuse in their home, it was hard for the police to separate the victim with the accused or prosecute the case, and end up being blamed by the family. This eventually made the police and the related institutions investigate the case passively and it resulted the existing policies of domestic abuse to be not operated properly as they should be.

What Happens If You Report a Crime of Domestic Abuse?

If a domestic abuse is reported, according to the related Korean law, police can stop the violence and immediately arrest the offender if it is an emergency. Also, it is possible to separate the victim and the offender, and if they consider the chances are high that the violence can be reoccurred and if there is no time to wait for the court’s interim measure, police can order the offender to leave the house, isolate, or ban the offender from the victim by authority. If the offender violates this measure, he (or she) can be given sentence.

The victim of domestic abuse can move out from home and stay in the protection center, and the court can enforce the restraining order of the offender. Moreover, in Korea, a reporter of domestic abuse can be protected with anonymity if requested. Also, it is defined by the law the people who are obligated to report the public abuse if they have witnessed a doubtful. Those people are school workers, kindergarten workers, domestic violence related institution workers, the police, and so on and if they do not report the case they can sentenced.

It is harder to spot the domestic abuse than other crimes, which makes it even harder to cut the loop of crime. Accordingly, what is most important to solve this issue is the report of the victim or the people near them. It is nearly impossible to solve domestic abuse by the victim alone. Therefore, it is crucial to drag it out to the sunshine and deal with the problem together. If not me, my close people might be at the risk of domestic abuse. Thus, it is essential for all of us to care about our surroundings and willingly give a hand in need.

* This is the picture of a public campaign held in Gwang Hwa Moon to evoke the recognition of the report and help of others. The campaign used the shadows to highlight the message and make people actually participate.

Kim MinJi  alstbvj@g.hongik.ac.kr

<저작권자 © 홍익대영자신문사, 무단 전재 및 재배포 금지>