They are alone and in danger

                                                                                                                             

On Christmas in 2008, two young girls, named Hae Jin Lee (11) and Woo Ye Seul were kidnapped in Anyang city and found dead respectively in a nearby hill and river. According to the police, the criminal was the victims’ neighbor and children were kidnapped when they were wandering around the neighborhood after 6 p. m. Hae Jin Lee’s father said in one interview that he attributes his daughter’s death to their negligence and lack of attention. He mentioned that due to the fact that both parents spend most of their time at work, Hae Jin was almost always left alone at home and this makes her to wander around the neighborhood after school.

 

After the murder, Anyang City has taken several precautions in order to protect young children from heinous crimes. However, the victims’ parents affirm that first and foremost, supporting children who are neglected due to various factors should be a top priority.   

 

Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced that there are 10.3 million neglected children in South Korea. The research conducted by National Child Protection Agency showed that there are 955 cases of childhood neglect from this April to June. The number of neglected children is increasing rapidly from year to year.

 

The main reason for childhood neglect is poverty. Children without parents are in a state of total neglect after school. They do not get proper education and nutrition because they can not afford with a government subsidy.  This impedes their improvement and takes a toll on their emotional state. Those with parents are not exceptions of childhood neglect. Working parents are less likely to provide their children with stable environment and often neglect them. As a result, these neglected children are susceptible to crimes. Without parents’ attention and care, children can be preys for the criminals anytime anywhere.

Not only neglected children can be the victims but also the criminals.

Children who are neglected because of their poverty-stricken family background are liable to go astray.

 

Children who suffer from poverty are more likely to commit crimes and be tempted into wrong ways as revealed in one research.

If children keep being neglected without parents’ love and moral disciplines, they will be the ones who commit crimes in the long run.  

Childhood neglect should no longer be disregarded in current society since it does act as an impetus for the crimes against children.

All those neglected children need is love from their parents or society. There should be no more victims like Hae Jin and Ye Seul.