아동학대에 관한 법･제도적 고찰- 어린이집을 중심으로 -

Child abuse has occurred in various places and spaces including homes, daycare centers, kindergartens, schools and child protection institutions, and there are increasingly sophisticated and diversified types of abuse. Furthermore, it's easy to conceal it because it is mostly conducted by acquaintances, and it's actually quite difficult for abused children to make it known and protect themselves on their own since they aren't yet grown up physically and mentally. Meanwhile, child abuse hasn't been viewed as a crime for these reasons as long as it is not a serious case, but there is now a consensus that child abuse is a crime which must no longer be neglected but be subject to strict punishment on account of various recent abuse incidents, especially, death cases. In addition, child abuse incidents that have lately taken place in daycare centers raises awareness of the gravity of this issue, and it's now required to take actions against it. There are cases that the stress or heavy workload of daycare center teachers is followed by abuse, which is the biggest cause. Better treatment for childcare teachers, the introduction of psychotherapy programs and the expanded accountability of the childcare staff are all required to release their job stress to create more efficient chidcare environments to increase the efficiency of childcare services. To strengthen the child protection system, all authorities concerned should join forces, and a senior teacher system for children's rights should be expanded nationwide to put more intensive efforts into the prevention of the abuse of infants and preschoolers. Children's rights should be guaranteed against any kind of discrimination or punishment, and our society should make efforts to protect children's rights as much as possible with interest because their interests should be the top priority for every activity related to them.