: Professor Shin Eui-jin (Child Psychiatry Laboratory) wins the Seoul City Award for the Most Distinguished Women Professor Shin Eui-jin (Child Psychiatry Laboratory) has been conferred with the 7th Seoul City Award for the Most Distinguished Women. For the past 10 years, she has provided counseling and treatment to about 1000 young victims of sexual assault and their families. She is one of the specialists in an area which has long been concealed by shame and social taboo. Professor Shin has put forth much effort to bring the gravity of sexual violence against children to public debate and has strived to help and treat these children and their family. “Only 10 years ago, sexual violence against children was a taboo word. The issue could not draw the attention of society and the government; and those who brought up the “sexual” problem in the National Assembly were berated.” During her training at the Child Abuse Center of the University of Colorado in 1998, Professor Shin came to recognize the importance of a psychiatristic approach to the treatment of child victims of sexual violence. As soon as she returned to Severance Hospital, she began to provide specialized treatment to the young victims of sexual violence and their families. The people she met had been able to receive help or treatment from nowhere; their pain was doubled, since schools, local communities and policy authorities not only disregarded but also distorted the terrible things that actually happened to them. This reality initiated her efforts to develop a social support system for these children. “When I first started counseling and treating such patients, even some colleagues tried to dissuade me from doing such a difficult and troublesome medical activities. But at that time these young victims could not even get a medical report from a doctor. I was determined to ‘fight against’ these poor and unfair conditions.” However, unlike other countries that already had social aid systems for victims of child violence, the concept of child sexual violence was not even established in Korea. In such a dismal situation, the task to formulate regulations and systems in medical, legal, administrative, and social fields was too overwhelming for her. Then in 2004, the Seoul Sunflower Child Center was launched as an organization supported by the government, and the Center specialized in treatment and counseling for the victims of child sexual violence. This was one of the major accomplishments attained through long years of Professor Shin’s hard work. Professor Shin put “Sunflower” in the Center’s name in hope for the Seoul Sunflower Child Center to inform people of the problems of child sexual violence and to help victims and their families move out of the darkness and regain their smiles and lives. Professor Shin has been the chairperson of the Center for 6 years. “The primary cause of child sexual violence is our society’s disapproval of children’s rights. To eradicate child sexual violence, rage against the assailants and aggravated punishment on them are not the only measures to take. Our children need to be systematically supported by the laws that protect their rights and improve their welfare.” Professor Shin pointed out that training professional resources was the most urgent task. She reaches out for help and support to students majoring in nursing, social welfare, and clinical psychology. Also, university students can help the children at a nearby Sunflower Child Center and take part in diverse voluntary activities.