False abuse reports must not undermine teachers’ authority

The Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union and the Korean Teachers and Education Workers’ Union held a joint press conference at the National Assembly on Wednesday, calling for revisions to what are known as the three child abuse laws — the Child Welfare Act, the Child Abuse Punishment Act and the Act on the Status of Teachers. On Friday, some 5,000 teachers are expected to rally in support of amending the legislation.

Teachers are demanding legal changes to protect their authority in the classroom and restore confidence in the education system. They argue that loopholes in the current laws have encouraged a surge in false child abuse accusations, leaving teachers reluctant to carry out ordinary educational duties and threatening the functioning of public education.

The concern stems from a growing number of cases in which teachers’ words and actions during routine classroom management are reported as emotional abuse. The three teachers’ organizations said that the vague definition of emotional abuse in Article 17 of the Child Welfare Act has become a channel for malicious complaints and retaliatory reports. They have called for clearer standards governing what constitutes emotional abuse.

The Child Abuse Punishment Act, which was strengthened after the death of an adopted child case, has also become a tool for intimidating teachers, critics say. Once an allegation of child abuse is filed, an investigation begins immediately. Teachers often find themselves treated as criminal suspects and forced to prove their innocence.

Even when prosecutors decide not to indict or courts ultimately acquit them, teachers must endure a long and painful process that few outside the profession fully understand.

At the same time, there are no provisions punishing those who make false accusations. As a result, indiscriminate reports have proliferated. According to the Ministry of Education, 1,870 child abuse complaints were filed against teachers between September 2023 and February of this year. Of the 993 cases that had been concluded by the analyzed period, 90.4 percent ended without charges.

The consequences extend far beyond individual teachers. Fearing lawsuits and professional penalties, educators may become hesitant to discipline students or intervene in behavioral problems. That caution can undermine the learning environment and infringe on the educational rights of other students.

Protecting children from abuse remains an essential responsibility of society. Teachers who genuinely engage in misconduct must also be held accountable. Yet the misuse of child abuse laws to target legitimate educational activities can no longer be ignored.

If Korea hopes to restore teachers’ authority and revive public education, it must provide legal protections for appropriate classroom instruction while creating meaningful penalties for parents who repeatedly file malicious and unfounded accusations.