Preventing Recurrence of Child Abuse... Seoul City Operates 'Child Abuse Psychological Treatment Center'

Installed within Seoul Child Welfare Center... Supporting normalization of children and families through adequate treatment and preventing abuse recurrence
Comprehensive psychological evaluation → treatment plan establishment → customized treatment, operation of 'case meeting expert advisory group'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 10th that it has established a "Child Abuse Psychological Treatment Center" within the Seoul Child Welfare Center to provide professional services such as psychological testing, counseling, and treatment for children or families referred through families struggling with child-rearing difficulties or in crisis, child welfare facilities and institutions, community centers, and district offices.

The Seoul Child Abuse Psychological Treatment Center will conduct ▲ psychological counseling and sufficient treatment services for abused children and their families ▲ strengthening expertise through education and consulting for child protection agencies and staff at shelters for abused children ▲ preventive activities through parent education programs for the general public.

The center recognizes that psychological wounds suffered in early childhood affect social development, so it provides psychological counseling and appropriate treatment measures for rapid recovery. For children subject to protection such as abused children, a "comprehensive psychological evaluation" is conducted to assess the child's psychological state, develop a "treatment plan," and take corresponding actions. Therapeutic methods such as play therapy, sandplay therapy, and art therapy are also provided to help children gain insight and understanding of their psychological issues within a therapeutic relationship. Additionally, regular case meetings with a "professional advisory panel" will be held to review whether the direction of the child's psychological treatment is appropriate, ensuring multifaceted professional treatment.

Furthermore, the center supports expert case meetings, clinical counseling and psychological treatment personnel training, and consulting for child protection agencies (9 locations) that protect abused children and help restore family functions, as well as shelters for abused children (6 locations). In November, specialized training to enhance expertise and "expert case meetings" to handle high-difficulty mental health cases and provide appropriate treatment advice, along with one-on-one individual consulting, will be conducted for clinical psychological counselors at child protection agencies, shelters for abused children, and child care facilities. Going forward, support will be expanded to facilities such as child care institutions and group homes where children in need of protection reside.

In addition, the center operates parent education programs to help parents better understand their children and raise them in more desirable ways, engaging in preventive activities. Every third Thursday of the month, "parent education" is conducted on various topics, and "parenting counseling" is provided to share difficulties related to child-rearing. Starting in December, the "Psychological Journey with Children" program, which was suspended due to COVID-19, will also be resumed.

Various psychological tests are also conducted for parents, and guidance on appropriate parenting methods is provided to help not only individual recovery but also family restoration. Seoul expects that early detection of children's emotional and behavioral problems through expert psychological intervention, as well as alleviation of parenting stress and individual psychological and emotional difficulties experienced by caregivers, will prevent the likelihood of abuse and contribute to creating a stable nurturing environment for children.

Meanwhile, on the 19th, in observance of Child Abuse Prevention Day, the center will expand the parent education programs it has been operating. Citizens wishing to participate in the education can apply through the "Seoul Special City Child Welfare Center" website.

Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Women and Family Policy Office, said, "Psychological and emotional problems caused by abuse, if not treated in time, can affect social development and remain a lifelong burden. Seoul will continue its policy efforts to create psychological and physical environments where children can grow up healthily in their families and communities, while closely supporting professional psychological counseling and treatment to help normalize abused children and their families following the restructuring of the child protection system."

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