Background
: After the first public exposure to child abuse case in 1975, the seriousness of the case was raised by the first child abuse investigation which took place in elementary schools in seoul in 1986. Thereafter, 'Korean Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect' was formed and conducted studies on child abuse. We, as family physicians, recognized the seriousness of the child abuse as a case of family violence, and conducted the following study with interest in the prevention and treatment for child abuse.

Methods : The survey was carried out in June, 1995 and the total number of investigated groups was 944 of elementary school students of 5th and 6th grade and they were 302 students in Taegu, 367 students in Gumi, 275 students in Samcheonpo. We analyzed 944 replies from our questionnaire that included battering degree, family structure and characteristics, parents job and eduation level, battering aspects, family violence, sexual abuse and APGAR SCORE.

Results : In our study, it was analyzed with no battering(15.4%), mild battering(76.9%), severe battering(7.7%). In comparison with community, 5.9% in largest urban city, 8.2% in industrial city, 9.1% in rural area showed the case of severe battering. Therefore, the children living in urban were less exposed in severe battering case than male(P=0.000). In comparison with APGAR SCORE, among 92 children whose score 0~3, 13% were exposed, and among 533 children whose score 7~10, 42% were exposed in severe battering case. Therefore, in the lower APGAR score group, battering child is more common(P=0.000).

Conclusion : In the occasion of considering child who is severely battered as child abuse group, its prevalence is very high. As a family physician who is charged with primary care, we care patients with interest in family violence and child abuse. In case APGAR score of child is low, we consider any possibility of child abuse and must show our continuous effort and study for prevention and treatment of child abuse.