The right to discipline has been eliminated, but corporal punishment still persists... “The state must take action in positive parenting” [Child abuse prevention plan]

[EBS News 12]

Most child abuse occurs at home, by parents.

Although it has been three years since the 'right to discipline', which states that a person with parental authority can discipline a child, was completely deleted from our laws, it is true that awareness of corporal punishment is still low in our society.

Reporter Song Seong-hwan looked into what it would take for both children and parents to grow up happily without corporal punishment.

[Report]

A mother strongly grabbed the arm of her 6-year-old child who refused to go with her.

A father left his 4-year-old child alone outside the front door because he was fighting with his younger brother and wouldn't stop crying.
 

All of these actions, committed either inadvertently because they were my children or because I thought they were legitimate discipline, are actual cases that the court judged to be child abuse.

Interview: Attorney Eui-Seok Lee / Daeryun Law Firm

“Exposing children during a fight between a couple is an act that can be punished as child abuse. So, swearing at each other in a space where the children can hear….”

‘Disciplinary rights’, which states that the person with parental authority can discipline the child as necessary.

This provision, which has been specified in Article 915 of the Civil Act since 1958 when it was first created, was abolished in 2021, 62 years after its enactment.

This is because of concerns that it may be used as a basis to justify corporal punishment of parents, and as a result, the basis for parents to corporally punish their children has completely disappeared from our country's legal system.

Interview: Professor Lee Wan-jeong / Department of Child Psychology, Inha University

“Disciplinary methods such as corporal punishment for children are no longer appropriate, and the idea is to discipline children in a more positive way in line with the international trend emphasizing the rights and welfare of children.”
 

However, more than three years after the disciplinary authority disappeared, social awareness of corporal punishment has not changed significantly.

More than 6 out of 10 adults in Korea still believe that physical punishment is acceptable for discipline.

68% of respondents did not even know that disciplinary rights had been removed.

Interview: Parents who experienced corporal punishment

“If something happens like hitting a child with a stick or losing his/her hand without realizing it, the child reports it to the police because education is so good these days. During that process, there were times when the police came to my house and I was so embarrassed.”

So what is the way to raise a child well without corporal punishment?
 

After the removal of disciplinary rights, child protection academics and experts came together to create the '129 Principles of Positive Parenting' based on the premise of viewing children as independent individuals.
 

The idea is to practice positive parenting by reflecting on children and parents themselves and growing together based on understanding and trust.

Interview: Director Jeong Ik-joong / Child Rights Guarantee Agency

“(Children), of course, need to be disciplined and educated, but as humans, there are things we shouldn’t do, and since we can think about those things, wouldn’t it naturally lead to the prevention of child abuse?”

But even if you know these principles, applying them in practice is a different matter.

Most parents who receive child-rearing information piecemeal through broadcasts and parenting books have no choice but to return home and feel the barrier once again.

Interview: Professor Hana Lee / Department of Social Welfare, University of Ulsan

“When we looked at the participants of the (parent education) program, there were many parents who were doing well enough, but the problem is that the proportion of parents who actually need child abuse prevention education or parent education is relatively small.”

Experts point out that the government and local governments must take a more active role in resolving each parent's difficulties in raising children.

Rather than simply providing parent education, the state must take responsibility for creating a foundation that can easily resolve the burden and hardships of parenting within a short distance.

Interview: Professor Youngin Jang / Department of Social Welfare, Sangji University

“It is necessary to create a one-stop system where, whenever you have questions or encounter difficulties, you can apply for support in the community where you live and receive support from a trustworthy organization or a trustworthy person without incurring a large cost.”

In fact, Seocho-gu, Seoul, in 2021, the district office, police, and private sector came together to create the first child abuse response center in Korea, where everything from investigation of reports of child abuse to follow-up management such as education, treatment, and counseling is carried out in one place.

Although it is evaluated that families in need of intervention are identified early and abuse prevention programs such as parent education are provided in a timely manner, it has not yet spread to other local governments.

Interview: Kwon Yun-yeon, Child Protection Team Leader / Seocho-gu Office, Seoul

“This is something that is fully supported by the local government budget. So, we can work harder not only to prevent child abuse, but also to conduct investigations, follow-up management, and even (develop) programs.”

It's everyone's first time raising a child, so they have no choice but to be immature.

It is time for society to find ways to help both children and parents grow together in a happy environment.

“When we have to get married and raise children, there is no information on the actual education we need. There is no education. So how can we raise children? Everyone says it is vague, difficult, and difficult, so we just say we will not have children.”

This is Song Seong-hwan of EBS News.

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