Parents "Criticized in front of other teachers... Emotional abuse"
Teacher "Self-esteem hit rock bottom... Undergoing treatment for depression"
A middle school teacher who guided students' dress code was reported by a parent on charges of child abuse. The parent claims that the teacher verbally abused students under the pretext of behavioral guidance.
According to the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education on the 28th, recently, a middle school behavioral guidance teacher, Mr. A, in Jeonnam was booked without detention by the police on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act. On the 7th of last month, Mr. A is accused of emotionally abusing Ms. B by pointing out her attire in the teachers' office where two other teachers were present, causing her to feel ashamed. At that time, Mr. A, the head of student affairs at the school, was criticizing the dress code of three students including Ms. B and mentioned that Ms. B's shorts were too short.
In response, Ms. B's parents claimed, "Our daughter felt ashamed because her attire was criticized in front of other teachers," and argued that Mr. A committed emotional abuse. They also stated that Mr. A did not provide clear dress code regulations and frequently used abusive language and verbal insults under the guise of behavioral guidance. Additionally, Ms. B's parents alleged that Mr. A physically assaulted Ms. B using a mobile phone and requested separation measures between Mr. A and Ms. B.
Ms. B's parents said, "The teacher came to this school in March, and we understand that there were violent acts that could be considered abusive toward several students." They added, "Such behavior was repeated from the beginning of the semester, and there are multiple victims." They further stated, "The teacher initially apologized via text message and also apologized during a meeting with the principal, but did not apologize directly to the child, so we felt there was no sincerity." They also mentioned, "Since the teacher remains at the school, we are considering transferring our child."
The school has separated Mr. A from Ms. B by excluding him from teaching duties, and the provincial education office is conducting follow-up measures such as student counseling.
In an interview with Yonhap News, Mr. A said, "I have never habitually used abusive language or corporal punishment on students," and "I apologized several times to the student and parents, but it was not accepted." He also stated, "As a teacher, my self-esteem has hit rock bottom, and I am at a loss on how to guide the children," adding, "I have developed depression and am receiving psychiatric treatment."
Article 10 of the Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes and the Protection of Victims stipulates that "anyone who becomes aware of a child abuse crime or suspects it may report it." Since reporting is possible based on suspicion alone, even if a final decision of no charges is made, the complainant or reporter cannot be punished for false accusation.
According to an analysis of data requested by the Gyeonggi Teachers' Union from the nationwide city and provincial offices of education through the Information Disclosure Portal in March, there have been 1,252 cases in the past five years where teachers were accused or reported for child abuse and investigated. Among these, 676 cases (53.9%) were closed by the police or resulted in non-prosecution, exceeding half of the total cases.
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