Intention to Formally Report Family Violence in South Korea: Based on Black's Theory of Law

Generally, filing a formal report of family violence is considered a difficult task, although it is the main source from which police can take action. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors predicting the intention to formally report family violence in South Korea, based on Black's theory of law. The data were drawn from the National Survey of Domestic Violence, collected from a representative sample of 5777 members of the South Korean population. The results indicated that people generally showed a greater intention to report violence that they witnessed in other families as opposed to their own family. Perceived gender roles and information about institutions where individuals might seek help for family violence were the strongest negative and positive predictors of the intention to report, respectively. The findings can be used as evidence when developing public education and practical guidelines to promote official reporting of family violence.