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Manifestation of Violence

Child Homicide in South Korea

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Handbook of Anger, Aggression, and Violence

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Abstract

Child homicide is an ubiquitous phenomenon across culture and history. It is considered to be the cruelest crime. Most studies on the topic have been conducted in Western countries. However, little is known about this phenomenon in Asian countries such as South Korea. This study first introduces the prevalence, typology, and characteristics of child h omicide in South Korea. Thereafter, it explains the complex and multifaceted nature of such crimes. Next, among the multiple types of child homicide, we focus on infant death related to abusive head trauma caused by a paternal figure as it has unique profiles of the victim, perpetrator, and circumstance. Five cases are presented to illustrate this unique pattern. Striking similarities exist between previous research and this study’s findings, even across sociocultural contexts, indicating that despite some differences, child homicide is a universal phenomenon.

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Abbreviations

AHT:

Abusive head trauma

RH:

Retinal hemorrhages

SAH:

Subarachnoid hemorrhage

SBS:

Shaken baby syndrome

SDH:

Subdural hematoma

TEN:

Torso, ear, neck

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forensic Psychology Laboratory, National Forensic Service, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea

    Kyuhee Jung & Heesong Kim

  2. Forensic Medicine Department, National Forensic Service, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea

    Kyung-moo Yang

Authors
  1. Kyuhee Jung
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  2. Kyung-moo Yang
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  3. Heesong Kim
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heesong Kim .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Health and Wellbeing, University of Suffolk, Ipswich, UK

    Colin R. Martin

  2. Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK

    Vinood B. Patel

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Jung, K., Yang, Km., Kim, H. (2023). Manifestation of Violence. In: Martin, C.R., Preedy, V.R., Patel, V.B. (eds) Handbook of Anger, Aggression, and Violence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31547-3_135

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