Recently, the traditional family values have been weakened and the burden of care has been slowly moving out of the family. The vulnerable members of society who formerly have been protected within the family need to be protected at the social level, and which is true for the victims of abuse and violence. Researchers have studied various issues on abuse and violence in Korea, yet most of them have focused on specific population groups, for example children, women and seniors.
This study aims to compare definitions, types, prevalence rates, characteristics as well as effects of abuse and violence at various stages of the life cycle and to find out common risks and protective factors shared at each stage. It includes the family violence such as child maltreatment, intimate partner violence and elder abuse, and peer-violence and bullying at schools.
Each life stage shares some, whereas has distinctive aspects of its own types and characteristics of the abuse and violence. Common risk and protective factors were listed. Among the results of the risk and protective factor analysis, it is highlighted that one of the common risk factors across the lifespan is victimization experiences. Also, this study discussed various policy measures to prevent abuse as well as to reduce the prevalence of the violence among family members.