아동학대에 관한 법적 대응의 방식은 기본적으로는 아동학대에 대한 사회의식을배경으로 하는 것이지만, 아동복지에 관한 법률이 아동학대에 관한 규정을 담고있는 경우가 입법례의 다수를 차지하고 있는 점에서도 알 수 있듯이 아동학대에대한 형사적 개입도 궁극적으로는 행정에 의한 복지적 개입을 용이하게 하는 데에 의미를 가지는 것이야 할 것이다. 그와 같은 관점에서 아동학대에 대한 형사정책은 형사적 개입을 조기화하고 형법적 대응을 적극화하는 데에 그치기보다는문제의 해결을 위해 현존하는 사회자원의 적극적인 활용을 지향하는 것이어야한다. 범죄현상의 배후에 존재하는 근원적인 문제를 해결하는 데에 있어서 형법이 수행하는 역할은 사실 크지 않기 때문이기도 하다.
아동학대에 대한 형법적 대응은 일반예방적인 관점에서는 위하로서의 형벌이 아동학대를 실제로 억지하는 기능을 발휘하고 그것에 관한 규범의식을 형성하는데에 기여하는 것을 전제로 하고 있다. 그런데 아동학대에 대한 징벌적 접근방식을 특별예방적 측면에서 보면, 형벌이 가해자로 하여금 가령 학대행위를 일종의 훈육으로 여긴 자신의 잘못을 확인하게 하는 외에 재차의 과오를 범하지 않도록 하는 교육적 환경 내지 재사회화의 계기까지도 마련해주는 것인지에 관해서는 고민이 필요하다고 본다. 형벌이 단지 행위자에 대한 일방적인 비난의 표현이 아니라 행위자의 이해와 응답을 구하는 쌍방향적 의사소통이어야 한다면아동학대에 대한 징벌적 접근방식에는 보완되어야 할 부분이 남아있다고 생각된다.
Child maltreatment is an intimate and complicated form of harm; those cases have unique characteristics that make them different from other types of violence cases. It has been suggested that child maltreatment should be recognised as criminal offending, however, at the same time, it has been also warned that its criminalisation could inflict further harm to children. In South Korea, the Act of the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes entered into force on September 29, 2014, which is designed to assist the operation to help protect children from being victimized and to improve the investigation of child maltreatment cases. This article explores Korea’s legislative approach to develope recommendations to combat child maltreatment for the purpose of child protection more effectively. It also discusses the potential of the conventional criminal justice system to deter and reduce child maltreatment, and the function of restorative practices, through which the abuser is given a clear understanding of the impact of his or her actions on the victim, as well. Finally, it reviews procedural issues that arise in the prosecution stage of a child maltreatment case. The role of law enforcement in child maltreatment cases is to investigate to determine if a violation of criminal law occurred, identify and apprehend the offender, and file appropriate criminal charges. Yet, it has been argued that child maltreatment should be considered within the broader context of child health and social welfare, with a focus on prevention. Consideration is given to the capacity of criminal sanctions to shape the behaviour of offenders, and to the impact of criminal intervention in child maltreatment cases on the processes of child protection.
Child maltreatment is an intimate and complicated form of harm; those cases have unique characteristics that make them different from other types of violence cases. It has been suggested that child maltreatment should be recognised as criminal offending, however, at the same time, it has been also warned that its criminalisation could inflict further harm to children. In South Korea, the Act of the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes entered into force on September 29, 2014, which is designed to assist the operation to help protect children from being victimized and to improve the investigation of child maltreatment cases. This article explores Korea’s legislative approach to develope recommendations to combat child maltreatment for the purpose of child protection more effectively. It also discusses the potential of the conventional criminal justice system to deter and reduce child maltreatment, and the function of restorative practices, through which the abuser is given a clear understanding of the impact of his or her actions on the victim, as well. Finally, it reviews procedural issues that arise in the prosecution stage of a child maltreatment case. The role of law enforcement in child maltreatment cases is to investigate to determine if a violation of criminal law occurred, identify and apprehend the offender, and file appropriate criminal charges. Yet, it has been argued that child maltreatment should be considered within the broader context of child health and social welfare, with a focus on prevention. Consideration is given to the capacity of criminal sanctions to shape the behaviour of offenders, and to the impact of criminal intervention in child maltreatment cases on the processes of child protection.
