More than 50 percent of adults have experienced dating violence more than once. (image: Pixabay)
SEJONG, Oct. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of dating violence cases reported to police reached about 20,000 last year, up more than 40 percent over the past two years.
According to Statistics Korea, the number of dating violence cases reported to police stood at 19,940 last year, up 41.1 percent from 14,136 in 2017.
By type of crime, assault accounted for the largest share at 71 percent (7,003). The number of cases where dating violence led to murder stood at 35 (0.3 percent).
On the basis of 2018 figures, people in their 20s accounted for the largest share of dating violence offenders at 35.3 percent.
A survey also indicated that more than 50 percent of adults have experienced dating violence more than once.
The Gyeonggido Family and Women Research Institute carried out a survey of 1,500 men and women between 19 and 69 years of age living in Gyeonggi province.
At 54.9 percent, more than half of the respondents said they had experienced dating violence at least once in their life.
Among those who said they had experienced dating violence, 62 percent said that the dating violence happened within the first year of the relationship.
The victims of dating violence suffered various after-effects. Roughly one quarter said that they suffered psychological trauma after experiencing dating violence, while 11.8 percent said they had problems in their social life and interpersonal relations.
In particular, women turned out to have suffered stronger after-effects than men. Among those who had experienced dating violence, 30.6 percent of women said they experienced psychological trauma, higher than the 22.9 percent reported for men.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
