Parent Claiming Child Abuse Online
"Malicious Editing" Rebuttal Also Raised
A controversy erupted online after a parent threatened to report the school for child abuse, claiming that an 'outdoor class' was conducted without prior notice. There was also a rebuttal stating that the original online community post was maliciously edited.
The parent argued that the school did not notify them in advance about the 'outdoor class,' resulting in their child attending class under the scorching sun without sunscreen, which they claimed was clear child abuse.
A group chat room for parents of second-grade elementary school students. [Photo by Online Community Capture]
According to a group chat conversation shared by a parent identified as A, they said, "The school didn't notify us about sunscreen. The school system seems seriously broken," and asked, "If we report this as child abuse, can they be punished?"
They then shared conversations from a parent group chat. Parent B said, "Ah, the 2nd and 3rd graders aren't on the playground, right? I didn't get any sunscreen notice." Parent C, seemingly watching the school playground in real time, said, "The 2nd graders are coming out to the playground now. It seems like all classes are on the playground today." To this, B replied, "I feel so sorry for sending them out without any UV protection."
Another parent empathized, saying, "We were only told to wear grade-specific T-shirts, so we thought the class would be held in the gym."
Netizens who saw this expressed reactions such as, "If you're worried about UV rays, don't send your kids to school; raise them at home," and "With the severe fine dust, I want to report parents who send their children to school for child abuse first."
As the controversy spread, a parent who claimed to have participated in the chatroom came forward to clarify.
D, who said they work as a lawyer, stated, "Although the conversation has no relation to child abuse, it seems the online community post was maliciously edited. I suggest the original poster take down the post, and other users refrain from further spreading it."
They added, "Many people misunderstand the original conversation as demanding sunscreen notification because the phrase 'sunscreen notice' appears in the KakaoTalk chat. However, that conversation was not about such a situation. Above that chat, there was a screenshot of a sunscreen notice for another grade scheduled for an outdoor event. The conversation was about assuming that the grades without a sunscreen notice would have indoor events, comparing the two."
Meanwhile, education authorities have recently begun responding to the increase in malicious complaints from parents.
The Ministry of Education and the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) agreed last December to establish practical guidelines that include teachers' rights to refuse to respond and refuse to answer, aiming to protect teachers' authority and prevent privacy violations.
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