As cases of teacher sexual misconduct surge, lawmakers sound alarm

Social Affairs

Published: 11 Jul. 2024, 17:44 Updated: 11 Jul. 2024, 17:45

As cases of teacher sexual misconduct surge, lawmakers sound alarm

Students walk to school in a photo not related to the article. [YONHAP]

A surge in cases of teachers sexually abusing their students is prompting calls from lawmakers to take better preventive actions.

A total of 448 cases of teachers or other faculty members sexually abusing students at elementary, middle or high schools were reported from 2019 through the first half of this year, according to data obtained by liberal Democratic Party Rep. Jin Sun-mee from education offices across 17 different cities and districts on Thursday.

After reaching 100 cases in 2019, the numbers dropped during the Covid-19 pandemic era — 52 cases in 2020 and 59 in 2021. However, they rebounded as schools resumed normal operations post-Covid, reaching 91 cases in 2022 and 111 cases last year.

Thirty-five cases were reported in the first half of this year.

By type, sexual harassment accounted for the most cases with 239, followed by sexual assault with 133 cases and sexual violence with 31.

Regionally, Gyeonggi reported the highest number with 89 cases, closely followed by Seoul with 82. Gwangju saw 44, South Jeolla 33 and South Chungcheong 28.

Based on reports submitted by teachers to each education office, many cases likely involved grooming, in which assailants established emotional connections with minors to lower their inhibitions to sexually abuse them.

Reported instances included teachers forming romantic relationships with students, making promises of marriage in exchange for sexual favors, and engaging in inappropriate physical contact such as touching hands after offering to buy clothes and food.

On June 27, the former head of the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations stepped down after letters to one of his students from his time as a high school teacher were revealed.

A screen capture of a letter from a female teacher at a middle school in Daejeon to her student, with whom she had been engaged in a romantic relationship since September [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The letters contained phrases like "I only see you, everyone else disappears" and “I love and think of you even in my dreams.” He even referred to her as "my goddess.”

During the same month, a female teacher at a middle school in Daejeon was found to have been in a romantic relationship with her student since September. She has since been removed from her position.

However, the challenge of obtaining accurate statistics on sexual crimes related to grooming — none of the 17 education offices handle it as a separate violation — highlights the need for preventive measures and systemic reform to address these issues.

“The continued prevalence of teacher-on-student sex crimes in schools indicates that our education and prevention systems are failing,” said Jin.

She also pointed out that grooming is particularly concerning because victims’ close friends and families, at times even the victims themselves, often fail to recognize they are being victimized.

Jin called for fundamental measures to root out sex crimes in schools, especially grooming, and announced plans to propose amendments requiring all school-related sex crimes to be reported to the Minister of Education.

BY HAN JEE-HYE, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]