Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education Sexual Harassment Response Manual Controversy
"If pointed out as the perpetrator, apologize immediately and accept it"
Netizens Outraged "Following it as is will lead to a criminal record"
The Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station in Gyeonggi Province has sparked controversy after labeling an innocent man as a sex offender and conducting an investigation. Amid this, a sexual harassment response manual distributed by the education authorities has resurfaced.
Manual for Responding When Accused of Sexual Harassment by Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education. [Photo by Online Community]
On the 30th of last month, a post titled "How to Respond When Accused of Sexual Harassment" gained attention on various online communities and social networking services (SNS). The post was a partial excerpt from educational materials released by the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education in 2019.
The educational material advises the following responses when accused of sexual harassment: ▲immediate apology ▲fulfillment of the victim's demands ▲acceptance of disciplinary action if deemed appropriate. Regardless of the perpetrator's intent, if accused of sexual harassment, one should immediately apologize, comply with any demands made by the victim, and if the dispute reaches a mediation stage, assess whether disciplinary action is justified and accept it if so.
This content has fueled further public outrage in connection with the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station controversy. Earlier, on the 23rd of last month, a video was posted on the YouTube channel "Unjust Man" exposing that the police, who responded to a report of sexual violence in the women's restroom inside the management office building next to a gym in an apartment complex in Hwaseong City, had identified the man as a sex offender and were conducting an investigation. The man in his 20s, Mr. A, consistently expressed his innocence through the video and accompanying text, and uploaded recordings of conversations with the police. The recordings reveal that even before the investigation began, the police used informal speech toward Mr. A and engaged in inappropriate language and behavior.
The case took a turn when the reporter, Ms. B (female, in her 50s), confessed to making a false report to the police station. Ms. B revealed, "I am taking medication prescribed by a hospital, and when taken in large amounts, I sometimes say things that are not true." After the case became public, netizens criticized the police officers who had investigated Mr. A, and this response manual was brought back into discussion by one netizen.
Netizens who encountered the response manual reacted with comments such as, "This is not a guide for when you have actually committed sexual harassment, but for when you are accused of it," "Following this blindly will definitely lead to a criminal record," "Is immediately apologizing when accused of sexual harassment the right way to respond?" "I'm scared to even talk to female coworkers," and "Whose mind came up with such a manual?"
Meanwhile, sexual behaviors that may constitute sexual harassment are defined as acts that cause sexual shame or disgust to an average person and violate sound moral standards, infringing on the victim's sexual freedom. Whether a behavior falls under this category is determined comprehensively by considering ▲the victim's intention ▲gender and age ▲the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim ▲the circumstances leading to the act ▲the specific nature of the act ▲the objective surrounding situation and the sexual moral standards of the time.
Sexual behaviors subject to sexual harassment are categorized by type. Repeated unwanted sexual language or behavior, or even a single severe sexual remark or act, can constitute sexual harassment in the workplace.
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