Let's Avoid Using 'Family Accompanied Suicide' and '○○ Incident' in News Reports

Announcement of 'Guidelines for Media Reporting on Child Abuse' to Protect Human Rights and Prevent Secondary Harm

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] From now on, when media outlets report on child abuse-related incidents, they will refrain from using expressions such as 'family suicide.' They will also avoid naming incidents with the victim child's name, such as 'the ○○ incident.'

On the occasion of 'Child Abuse Prevention Day (November 19),' the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, National Police Agency, and the media sector (Korea Journalists Association) announced on the 20th that they have created recommended guidelines containing precautions for reporting on child abuse cases.

The 'Child Abuse Media Reporting Recommended Guidelines,' established to curb sensational reporting on child abuse cases and protect children's human rights, are based on fundamental principles such as ▲child rights and human rights ▲prevention of secondary damage ▲fact-based reporting ▲guidance on response systems.

The guidelines first stipulate that in reporting child abuse cases, expressions like 'family suicide' or 'family's extreme choice' should be replaced with 'child murder followed by extreme choice.' This clarifies that a parent killing a child and then committing an extreme act is a criminal offense under the criminal law as murder and constitutes extreme child abuse.

They also emphasized refraining from using terms like 'corporal punishment' or 'discipline' when describing parental violence. This is because, following the revision of the Civil Act abolishing parental disciplinary rights over children, such expressions could justify violence.

When using recordings of the victim child in reports, consent must be obtained not only from the guardian but also from the victim child, and since the opinions of legal guardians or representatives may differ from the child's wishes, these should be distinguished in reporting.

The guidelines also include provisions to protect personal information to prevent secondary damage and caution against reporting nationality, family structure, etc., which may infringe on human rights or promote prejudice. When naming incidents, expressions like 'the ○○ incident' using the child's name or describing abuse circumstances should be avoided.

To prevent secondary damage, personal details that can identify victims, reporters, or suspected abusers should not be reported, and reporting on religion, nationality, family structure, etc., which may foster prejudice, should also be avoided.

Additionally, the media should provide balanced reporting based on facts, be cautious about using detailed videos or photos that could incite copycat crimes, and be mindful of malicious reports or tips. When reporting on child abuse cases, they are also urged to provide information on child abuse punishment regulations and response systems such as the reporting number (112) and counseling number (129).

The Child Abuse Media Reporting Recommended Guidelines will be utilized starting this month. A Ministry of Health and Welfare official said, "We hope that the newly established guidelines will contribute to protecting the human rights of abused children and their families."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.