A Story of Dobong-gu Saving a Child Wandering in Midwinter with Only an Old Jacket?

In December last year, child abuse report received, child and mother separated and treatment linked... Currently, child receiving treatment and living stably in a protection facility
Dobong-gu launches early intervention project to fundamentally prevent child abuse starting this year

"Help me. A child who looks about five or six years old is crying wearing only thin clothes. Next to the child, a woman who appears to be the mother is just looking at her cellphone and not taking any action."

On a cold day last December when the temperature dropped below freezing, Dobong-gu received a report of child abuse.

After the initial report was received by the police, the child abuse dedicated officers of Dobong-gu, who were contacted by the police, immediately rushed to the scene.

Upon arrival, the scene was chaotic. The child's mother was causing a disturbance while confronting the police, and the child was crying, shivering from the cold. With the wind chill below minus 10 degrees Celsius, the child's health appeared to be in serious danger.

The child abuse dedicated officers judged that if time was delayed, the child's health could worsen, so they decided it was necessary to separate the child from the mother. They contacted the child's father and moved the child to a temporary protection facility.

During the investigation, the officers discovered something unusual. The child's mother had been a subject of management at a nearby district police station due to various issues, including child abuse. At that time, a police officer told them, "There have been numerous reports related to Ms. A. We are worried about the child."

The child's father, Mr. B, worked night shifts, making it difficult to care for the child, who had never received proper care from anyone other than the mother.

For the child's safety, the district decided to completely separate the mother and child for the time being. First, while the child stayed at the temporary protection facility, they coordinated with a children's hospital and proceeded with treatment. The mother was transferred to a mental health facility and received inpatient treatment.

[Image source=Pixabay]

Currently, the child has been registered with autism through hospital examinations and is receiving social skills education at the protection facility. Unlike at the time of first admission, the child is now living stably with the caregivers at the facility. The mother, Ms. A, is also undergoing psychiatric treatment and is showing signs of recognizing her mental illness and attempting rehabilitation.

Going forward, the district plans to keep the child separated from the mother, Ms. A, and father, Mr. B, until they can fulfill their roles as proper parents, providing support such as treatment.

The rescue of the child from an abusive home was possible because the district established a cooperative network with the local community and related organizations.

In 2021, the district formed a Child Abuse Response Information Linkage Council with the police station and local child protection agencies, sharing information on abused or at-risk children and establishing and implementing tailored protection support measures through regular meetings and workshops every year.

Over the past year, among the cases reported and received as child abuse, the district linked those confirmed as abuse cases through internal case meetings to child protection agencies and provided psychological treatment and child abuse prevention education for abused children and their guardians.

Starting this year, to fundamentally prevent child abuse, the district will implement an early intervention child abuse prevention project called "Children Saving the World," which proactively intervenes in high-risk families suspected of potential child abuse in cooperation with related organizations.

The project name "Children Saving the World" is derived from the slogan of the international NGO "Save the Children": "If we save children, children will save the world."

The project targets children and guardians in high-risk families where abuse has not been confirmed but is potentially expected, providing services such as psychological testing, counseling, treatment, and education through child protection agencies.

The district expects that through this project, it will be possible to prevent child abuse and restore family functions in households with parental alcohol abuse problems, histories of mental illness, and children with temperamental factors such as ADHD-related impulsivity and anger control disorders, or intellectual disabilities.

Additionally, as part of child abuse prevention education, the district plans to conduct "visiting child abuse prevention education" targeting various organizations and residents in cooperation with the Seoul Northern Child Protection Agency, a specialized child abuse case management institution. Organizations interested in child abuse prevention can apply for education, and the agency will visit the applying institution to provide education on real cases of child abuse, the current status and signs of child abuse in Dobong-gu, and how to report it.

Oh Eun-seok, Mayor of Dobong-gu, said, "The district will do its utmost to promote projects for child protection in the community, from prevention to post-case management," and added, "We will continue to do our best to create a world where children's safety and happiness come first."

Dobong-gu Mayor Oh Eun-seok is engaging in play activities with a child during the 'Child Abuse Prevention Campaign' (November 21, 2023, Exit 1 Plaza of Changdong Station).

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