Teacher Trying to Stop Student Fight Accused of Child Abuse
Gunsan Police Child Abuse Officer Recommends Prosecution
Even Though Superintendent Sends Opinion Saying 'Not Child Abuse'...
Police Do Not Accept It...Jeonbuk Teachers' Union Strongly Opposes
Recently, a middle school teacher in Gunsan City, Jeonbuk, was accused of child abuse and referred to the prosecution for allegedly forcing an apology while mediating a dispute between students. In response, the Jeonbuk Teachers' Union strongly condemned the child abuse officer at the Gunsan Police Station through a statement.
On the 25th, the Jeonbuk Teachers' Union stated that the case of the teacher who was accused of child abuse and referred to the prosecution for saying, "You could also become a perpetrator," while trying to stop a quarrel between children, was an unfair act. The union began their statement by saying, "Former Jeonbuk Superintendent of Education Seo Geo-seok also submitted an opinion stating 'this is not child abuse,' and the teacher in question claims they never made the problematic remark, but these were not accepted."
The union said, "When a dispute occurs between students, the guidance process involves three steps: 'acknowledge ? apologize ? resolve,' which is called 'reconciliation.' Encouraging reconciliation when disputes arise between students is a common practice in teachers' student guidance." They added, "In cases where a teacher's conduct during educational activities is reported as child abuse and under investigation, the relevant superintendent of education is legally required to submit an opinion, which should be included in the case records and referenced during the investigation of the child abuse case. However, the child abuse officer at the Gunsan Police Station, lacking understanding of the educational context, judged the teacher's 'recommendation to apologize' as child abuse and referred the case to the prosecution with a 'prosecution opinion,' which we criticize."
The union warned, "Due to the Gunsan Police Station, which judged this matter as 'emotional abuse that harms the child's mental health and development' and prosecuted it, the life of one teacher has been ruined." They continued, "Countless teachers across South Korea watching this case will inevitably give up on student guidance, and ultimately, public education will collapse miserably." They further pointed out, "For students to grow into fully mature adults, both 'academic skills' and 'social skills' are necessary. If a teacher teaching 'apologizing' in the context of a quarrel between friends is prosecuted for child abuse without understanding the educational context, schools will be unable to teach the social skills students need, and society will eventually collapse."
Meanwhile, in March, a verbal dispute involving profanity broke out between students in a first-year middle school classroom in Gunsan City, Jeonbuk. The homeroom teacher mediated the situation and suggested mutual apologies between the two students. The teacher said, "Since both are at fault, let's apologize and end this," but one student refused to apologize. Subsequently, the parent of that student reported two teachers?the homeroom teacher and the homeroom teacher of the other student involved?to the police for child abuse.
Superintendent Seo submitted an opinion stating that the incident was "not child abuse," but the police did not accept it. Oh Jun-young, president of the Jeonbuk Teachers' Association, criticized, "After Professor Seo Yi-cho passed away, through the revision of the five laws on teacher authority and institutional improvements, the law was established that 'proper student guidance is not considered child abuse.' Is it that even this law cannot override the Child Abuse Punishment Act?" He added, "We cannot tolerate the police decision that pushed the teacher to the brink. We will stand with the teacher and fight to the end."
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