Eunpyeong-gu Holds Joint Workshop on Child Abuse Prevention Following Child Abuse Response System Reform

Eunpyeong Domestic Violence Counseling Center, Nokbeon Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, Eunpyeong Healthy Family Support Center, and 15 local child-related organizations participate... This workshop is expected to enhance understanding of public child abuse investigation and child protection system reform among related agency staff.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) held a joint workshop on child abuse prevention in response to the reorganization of the child abuse response system on the 29th at the 7th-floor conference room of Eunpyeong-gu Office, together with the Eunpyeong Child Protection Agency.

This joint workshop was jointly promoted by Eunpyeong-gu and the Eunpyeong Child Protection Agency, recognizing the need for publicity as the child abuse response system shifted from the private sector to the public sector since October last year but has not yet been widely introduced.

Since the government announced the ‘Inclusive Nation Child Policy’ in May 2019, the amendment of the Child Welfare Act has transferred the child abuse investigation duties previously performed by the Child Protection Agency to local governments, strengthening the responsibility of local governments for children requiring protection. Through expert lectures, information on these changes in the child abuse response system was shared to help related agency personnel understand, focusing on in-depth case management of child abuse and understanding and linking public services.

Due to COVID-19, the workshop was held with a minimum number of participants from each institution while complying with quarantine rules. Attendees included ▲child affairs officers from district and neighborhood offices ▲Abuse Prevention Officers (APO) from Seoul Eunpyeong and Western Police Stations ▲Seoul Metropolitan Western Office of Education ▲Seoul Metropolitan Western Child Counseling and Treatment Center ▲Eunpyeong Domestic Violence Counseling Center ▲Eunpyeong Healthy Family Support Center ▲Eunpyeong Mental Health Welfare Center ▲Eunpyeong Youth Counseling Center ▲five comprehensive social welfare centers and disability welfare centers, totaling 15 related child-related agency personnel in the region.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, stated, “Child abuse is a clear criminal act that destroys the future of our children, and it is not just a family issue but a matter that our entire society must care about. Continuous publicity and strong responses must be maintained until awareness and culture change.” She also urged, “Field officers should detect signs of abuse early and ensure that the protection system operates flawlessly through information sharing and prompt action among institutions.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.