Children's experience of violence in China and Korea: A transcultural study

Objective: Then were two aims: First, to compare children's rates of bring battered in home, by peers, and by teachers among students between China an d Korea, and second, to identify particular risk factors for such violence. Methods: Children in grades four through six in Shanghai (238 cases) and Ya nji (245 cases) in China and Seoul (248 cases) and Kimpo(241 cases) in Kore a were surveyed by questionnaire method. They were asked to complete the St raus' Conflict Tactics Scale and their frequencies in the three situations respectively, and other demographic items. Results: Family violence during the last 1 year was experienced in 70.6% (m inor 42.2%; serious 22.6%) of the children in China and 68.9% (minor 9.4%: serious 51.3%) of those in Korea. Experience rates of violence by peers wer e 42.7% (minor 25.7%; serious 13.7%) in China and 26.0% (minor 11.5% seriou s 14.3%) in Korea. Finally, rates of corporal punishment by teachers were 5 1.1% (minor 28.0%; serious 4.1%) In China and 62.0% (minor 8.8%; serious 43 .8%) in Korea. The most important and common risk factor for violence in on e situation was the presence of violence in another situation. Conclusions: The findings indicate that the differences in children's overa ll experience rates were not particularly striking. However, Korean childre n experienced more severe forms of violence from family members and from te achers. Findings of risk factors clearly imply that there are children vuln erable to violence from multiple sources. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.