Korea - Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey - 2017

Publication date: 2017

Key Messages • Almost three out of five children age 1-14 years experienced any kind of violent discipline in the month prior to the survey from adult members of the household. • Two out of five children age 1-14 years experienced physical punishment and three percent experienced severe physical punishment, like hitting or slapping a child on the face, head or ears, and hitting or beating a child hard and repeatedly. • Similarly, two out of five children in the same age group were subjected to psychological aggression. • 63 percent of boys were subject of violent discipline and 55 percent of girls. • After four years of age, children are less and less subjected to physical punishment and more often to psychological aggression. • Some differences are observed in use of violent discipline by wealth groups and mother’s education. • One in five mothers/caretakers who were respondents to a child discipline module thinks that physical punishment is necessary to properly raise or educate children. • Attitudes to physical punishment vary between provinces, ranging from 6 percent in Pyongyang to 39 percent of respondents in Ryanggang who think physical punishment is necessary. Percentage of children age 1 to 14 years who experienced any discipline in the past month, by type Percentage of children aged 1 to 14 years who experienced any violent discipline in the past month, by background characteristics Physical punishment: Shaking, hitting or slapping a child on the hand/arm/leg, hitting on the bottom or elsewhere on the body with a hard object, spanking or hitting on the bottom with a bare hand, hitting or slapping on the face, head or ears, and hitting or beating hard and repeatedly. Severe physical punishment: Hitting or slapping a child on the face, head or ears, and hitting or beating a child hard and repeatedly. Psychological aggression: Shouting, yelling or screaming at a child, as well as calling a child offensive names such as ‘dumb’ or ‘lazy’. Violent discipline: Any physical punishment and/or psychological aggression. DPR Korea 2017 Child Discipline Child Discipline Severe 3 Other types 41 Physical punishment 43 Psychological aggression 59 Any violent discipline: SDG 16.2.1 37 Only non-violent Violent Discipline: Inequalities Urban, 58 40 percent highest, 55 Higher, 53 Female, 55 Rural, 61 20 percent lowest, 60 Upper secondary, 61 Male, 63 0 20 40 60 80 100 Area Wealth groups Mother's education Sex of child P e rc e n t National Types of Child Discipline A Statistical Snapshot of the Child Discipline DPR Korea 2017 – 1 Violent Discipline: Age Patterns Percentage of respondents to the child discipline module who think that physical punishment is necessary to raise or educate children, by their background characteristics The DPR Korea Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) was carried out in 2017 by the Central Bureau of Statistics as part of the global MICS programme. Technical and financial support was provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The objective of this snapshot is to disseminate selected findings from the DPR Korea MICS 2017 related to child discipline. Data from this snapshot can be found in tables PR.2.1 and PR.2.2. Further statistical snapshots and the Survey Findings Report for this and other MICS are available on mics.unicef.org/surveys. Percentage of children age 1 to 14 years who experienced any violent discipline in the past month, by type and by age 0 20 40 60 80 100 1-2 years 3-4 years 5-9 years 10-14 years P e rc e n t Psychological aggression Physical punishment Severe physical punishment Any violent discipline 43 21 Percentage of children age 1-14 years who experienced any physical punishment Percentage of respondents who think that physical punishment is necessary 21 (16) 21 20 23 39 15 24 23 16 22 24 26 24 6 23 17 0 20 40 60 80 100 P e rc e n t Physical Punishment: Attitudes & Experiences Attitudes to Physical Punishment A Statistical Snapshot of the Child Discipline DPR Korea 2017 – 2 Note: Figure for category ‘Male’ is based on 25 – 49 unweighted cases

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