Korean Approaches to Preventing and Responding to Elder
Abuse
CONTENTS
1
The introduction
2
The Current situation of Elder
Abuse in Koreaionand its Coping
Policy
3
The conclusion
The Introduction
Aging Society
7.2%
- Korea becoming an
aged society in the year
2000 as the population
of its senior citizens
above 65 reached over
7.2% and it will be more
than 14%
The increasing
burden of the
young adults to
take care of the
elderly
The lack of
awareness of the
elder abuse in
Korean society
- The increasing number of
the old puts more burdens
on their families as well as
the society as they have
physical, and psychological
vulnerabilities.
- Especially the more the
number of the elderly rises,
the more the number of
physically, emotionally and
financially dependent
senior citizens rises, too.
- The awareness of the
elder abuse in Korea is
relatively low, compared to
one in child abuse or
domestic violence, And its
attitude toward the elder
abuse in immature.
1-1) The Definition and Types elder abuse
The Elderly welfare law, Article 1, Section 2, Clause 4 : Elder abuse
means using physical, emotional, or sexual violence to seniors,
exploiting financially, abandoning and neglecting them as well.
Abuse infected by family
members, Supporters in duty or
those who live in the same
house hold
Domestic abuse
Institutional
abuse
Abuse that happens in
institutions such as nursing
homes or senior care centers
which provide paid services
1-2-1) Behavioral Classification
Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Financial
exploitation
Abandonment
Self-neglect
Neglect
Sexual abuse
1-2-2) The Number of Reported Cases
Reported from the year 2005 to 2012
1-2-3) Places of Elder Abuse Occurrences
1-2-4) Types of Abuse
1-2-5) Change of Elder Abuser
1-2-6) People in Duty Report Elder Abuse
Medical staff who practices medicine in medical
institutions
Medical institutions : general hospitals, clinics, oriental
medicine clinics and senior care centers
Medical professionals : doctors, dentists, oriental medical
doctors, nurse, and midwifery service professionals
119 Emergency rescue Squad
Crews of 119Rescue Squad mobilized by an
emergency call
Public officials of Social Welfare sections and
heads as well as employees of social welfare
institutions
- seniors’ welfare facilities, the handicapper's welfare
facilities, counseling centers for domestic violence, shelter
for domestic violence victims, long-term senior care centers,
support centers for healthy families, long-tern senior home
care institutions and so on
1-2-7) Number or the Person in duty to Report
1-2-8) Number of Elder Abuse Cases in Welfare Facilities
1-2-9) Age group of Elder abusers
1200
1000
800
2008
2009
600
2010
2011
2012
400
200
0
10~19세
20~29세
30~39세
40~49세
50~59세
60~69세
70세이상
파악안됨
1-2-10) Number of Self-neglect
1-3-1) Causes of the Elder Abuser
1-4-1) Causes from Family Environment
2-1) Elder Abuse prevention Activities in the Privatesector
STEP 3
Expansion
STEP 2
The beginning
of business
STEP 1
Institution
alizarin
According to the revision
of the Elderly Welfare
Law in 2002, the opening
of Elder Abuse prevention
Centers in 16 regions
nationwide
The Opening of Elder abuse
Prevention Center as a
project of Social Welfare.
Fund-raising Association in 2002
Start with Bang-bae social
welfare center in 2000
정부 위탁 운영
2-2) Elder Abuse Prevention Activities in public-sectors
Legal basis
- the establishment of specialized
institutions of Seniors’ Protection
according to the Elderly Welfare Law,
Article 39.The Objectives of the
Establishments
The Objectives of the
Establishments
- Improving seniors’ happy late life
and well-being by providing prompt
services like the prevention of elder
abuse and the protection or the
treatment of elder abuse victims.
The current Situation of
the Establishments
-24 specialized care facilities for
seniors are operational nationwide.
-the opening of 1 Central Specialized
Institution of Senior Citizens
(commissioned by the Ministry of
Health and Welfare)
-16 shelters for elder abuse victims
are operational nationwide.
The head office
locals
Shelters
2-3) Main activities in the Elder Protection agency
The
head
Office
 Proposing policies related to the protection of
seniors’ human rights
 Developing programs and conducting researches
for the protection of seniors’ human rights
 Publishing and distributing educational materials or
promotional pamphlets on the prevention of elder
abuse
Collecting and managing database related to
special projects for seniors’ protection and
providing data services.
 Assisting and supporting local senior care
institutions
Training local counselors
Establishing a network among senior care
institutions and building partnerships with them
2-4) The Main Businesses of the Elder Protection
Agencies
Locals
 the operation of a hot line, (1577-1389) and casehandling
visitations or investigation of cases suspected of
elder abuse
counseling elder abuse victims or elder abusers
consulting parties concerned with elder abuse
victims like family members or institutions
recording or storing the data related to its services
or counseling
delivering preventive education programs to the
public regarding elder abuse
running classes for elder abusers to prevent from
reoccurrence.
2-5) Performance of Elder Abuse prevention Activates
Requesting
Reporting
Referring
↓
→
→
Case received
→
↓
↑
Cases of emergency
Suspected abuse cases
General cases
↓
↑
Visitation or investigation
↓
Elder abuse victims
Elder Abuser
Family members
↓
↑
Case examined
↓
Case of emergency
Non-emergency
Potential cases
General cases
↓
↑
→
Services delivered
↓
Case evaluation
↑
↓
←
↑
←
←
The termination of cases
↓
A follow-up
Services delivered
2-6) Shelters for Elder Abuse Victims
 Providing accommodations and helping them
adjust to the lives in shelters
 providing healing programs or therapeutic
counseling for their psychological security
Shelters
 providing basic medical services for physical
wounds and mental trauma
counseling elder abusers to prevent from abuse
reoccurrences and help their family life return to
normal.
2-7) Shelter Activities
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
Applications
ASADAL
INTERNET,
Taking –in or
Shelter candidates
ASADAL INTERNET,
The
orientation
selected
ASADAL INTERNET,
STEP 5
STEP 4
For sheltering
INC.
STEP 6
A Counseling session for
checking-out and checkingASADAL
outINTERNET,
INC.
INC.
Case
Services
evaluation and
provided
intervention
ASADAL INTERNET,
planning
INC.
Medical
Check up
INC.
Checking in
ASADAL INTERNET,
INC.
2-8) The Government’s Plan to Tackle Elder Abuse
STEP 1
STEP 2
establishing systems
designed to identify the
cases of elder abuse and
enhancing a counselor’s
competence
securing the physical safety
of counselors and beefing up
rescue systems for elder
abuse victims
STEP 5
Identifying cases of elder
abuse by stepping up
educational programs for
people in duty to report.
STEP 3
Beefing-up support systems
for institutional elder abuse.
STEP 4
Expanding jobs for senior
citizens
3. Conclusion
1.The life quality of senior citizens has been worsened
due to the rise of elder abuse, the expansion of nuclear
families and an aged society.
2. The causes of elder abuse are an abuser’s personal
problems and the conflicts between victims and abusers
over issues related to supporting seniors.
3. Because of traditional Confucian culture of our society,
elder abuse issues tend to be put aside as family
matters rather than social problems
4. As a result of the increase in nuclear families, elder
abuse has also increased including the neglect of senior
citizens living alone and self-neglect.
5. Elder abuse must be not considered as a personal
matter, but as a social issue, which should be tackled
through the refurbishment of related systems by the
government. The government and public sectors along
with the private should make concerted efforts so senior
citizens can live in a decent and humane way.
3. Conclusion
The World Making the Elderly Smiling
The World Making Everybody Smiling
A New Paradigm as
Social matters
Private Sectors
The
Government
The people
4. The Pictures of the Activates Of Elder
protection Agency
Counseling of elder abuse
victims
Campaigning the prevention of
elder abuse
Providing services at shelters
Preventive program for elder
abuse
The 8th celebration of World
Elder abuse Awareness Day
A Workshop for the cooperation of
private and public sectors