• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.85-127
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• 2006

This study examines the formation and change of relational trust among Korean adolescents using indigenous psychological perspective. Among adolescents, we examine the basis of trust of their parents, friends and teacher and also their trust in people and institutions. A total of 968 adolescents (227 elementary, 284 middle school, 213 high school, and 244 university students) completed a questionnaire that contains the Relational Trust Scale developed by Kim and Park (2004a), Generalized Trust Scale developed by Yamagishi (1998) and a scale measuring trust of people and institutions (Kim, Helgesen & Ahn, 2002). The results are as follows. First, adolescents trust their parents due to their sacrifice, followed by their counsel and advice, dependability, consanguinity and respects. They trust their teachers due to their counsel and advice, followed by respect, sacrifice, and mutual trust. They trust their friends due to their advice, followed by empathy, mutual trust, dependability, friendship and sacrifice. Second, trust of their parents are highest among the elementary school students and lowest for the middle school students and lower for older age groups. The trust in teachers are highest among the elementary school students and lowest among the middle school and university students. In contrast, trust in friends increase from elementary school students to older age groups. Third, among trust in people and institutions, they are highest for parents and family and lowest for politicians and political parties. Except for trust in friends, trust of significant others and institutions (family, teachers, neighbors, company executives and politicians) is highest among the youngest age group and it decreases with older age group. Fourth, Yamagishi's generalized trust was highest among the older age groups (high school and university students). The patterns of results for relational trust and generalized trust is different and it points to the importance of understanding trust from the indigenous psychological perspective.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.227-252
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• 2015

This study was intended to examine child abuse experience, response to child abuse, perception of the cause of child abuse, and need for counseling to prevent and eliminate child abuse among 514 day care center teachers across the country. First, 17.9% (92) of the teachers had experience of witnessing child abuse at day care centers. After such witness, the teachers mostly "paid attention to abused children and provided them with warm treatment" when they were abused by other teachers and "took no actions" when they were abused by directors of the day care centers. The biggest reason of not taking any actions was: they "had no authority to intervene in child care of other teachers" in case of child abuse by other teachers and "were afraid of responsibilities or roles that could be placed on them after reporting" in case of child abuse by day care center directors. Second, the biggest reason of child abuse by teachers was job stress followed by excessive work and mental health of teachers. Third, necessary actions when child abuse cases were found and confirmed were suspension of involved teachers and psychological evaluation for involved children and parents. Fourth, 88.9% (457) of the teachers responded that they would use an organization specialized in child abuse if such organization was built and that the organization would help them to decide on whether to report child abuse and prevention of and intervention in child abuse. They also said that such organization should be installed in the Counseling Center in the Comprehensive Child Care Support Center. Fifth, 95.3% (490) of the teachers answered professional counselors specialized in development and counseling of infants and toddlers were needed to address child abuse at day care centers. They demanded that such counselors should be able to administer psychological evaluation for young children and assess child abuse cases. Qualification of the counselors was at least college graduates who majored in psychology and child care, three to five years of experience in the field, and appropriate certificates or licenses. Finally, the teachers said that training and professional counseling about child abuse were required to prevent and eliminate child abuse at day care centers. Implications and follow-up studies were provided and suggested based on these findings.