NCJ Number
237202
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 35 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2011 Pages: 1037-1044
Date Published
December 2011
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the problem of child maltreatment in South Korea in a sample of young adults.
Abstract
Findings from the study include: male study participants reported more incidents of physical abuse, while female participants reported more incidents of emotional or sexual abuse; participants who reported experiencing all types of abuse in childhood reported significantly higher levels of interpersonal problems and depression as adults; and the perception that physical abuse was a reasonable/justifiable approach to discipline affected the level of interpersonal problems experienced by the participants. This study investigated the problem of child maltreatment in South Korea and its effect later in life on levels of depression and interpersonal problems. Data for the study were obtained from a sample (n=539) of young adults, aged 18-24. Participants in the study completed the ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool-Retrospective Version (ICAST-R), the short form of the Korean-Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scale (KIIP-SC), and the Korean version of the Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI). The results of the tests were analyzed to determine the extent to which childhood maltreatment affected levels of interpersonal problems and depression later in life. The findings indicate that how an individual perceives maltreatment affects how these incidents are reported and how the consequences of the maltreatment are interpreted later in life. Study implications are discussed. Tables and references