Child Abuse Response System in Scotland

Abstract

In this article, I give an account of the conceptual framework of child abuse and the procedural steps taken in dealing with maltreatment cases in Scotland, and explore the implications that Scotland’s child protective system holds for policymaking in Korea. In Scotland, child protection is structured as a collaborative effort that involves multiple stakeholders. Community members are directly engaged, taking on key roles at various stages in the process of child protection. The role played by healthcare institutions in multi-stakeholder collaboration is especially underscored with all healthcare professionals involved in child protection required to complete mandatory child protection training, with the result that interventions by healthcare institutions in child protection are carried out systematically and in a well-organized manner. Scotland’s system demonstrates that Korea could benefit from structured multi-agency collaboration and greater community participation.