BEIJING: A video showing two women scolding a crying toddler in an airplane bathroom has gone viral on social media in China, igniting a wide-ranging debate on how to best handle distressed children on public transportation.
According to a statement issued by Juneyao Airlines on Monday (Aug 26), the incident occurred on Flight HO2382 from Guiyang, Guizhou province, to Shanghai on Saturday morning.
The child, who was travelling with her grandparents, began crying during the flight. To minimise the disturbance to other passengers, two female travellers, who were unknown to the couple, took the distressed child into the bathroom with the grandmother's consent. The grandmother accompanied them and waited outside.
The video, which appeared to be shot by one of the women, showed the child crying and coughing as the other woman, seated on the toilet, told the girl she could leave the bathroom to see her grandmother only if she stopped crying.
The video also showed that the woman using stern language and threatening to leave the child in the bathroom if the crying persisted.
The airline conducted an internal investigation and reached out to the child's mother for clarification. The mother, having received a full account of the incident from the grandmother, expressed her understanding of the women's actions, according to the statement.
The incident prompted an online discussion about the appropriateness of such disciplinary measures and the need for greater empathy toward distressed children.
It became a hot topic on the Sina Weibo micro-blogging platform on Tuesday, with many netizens criticising the women, the airline and even the grandparents for the situation.
Some argued that the measures taken were acceptable to reduce noise and make the flight more comfortable for the other passengers, while others said there should have been more understanding and patience shown to the child.
Guo Xiamei, an associate professor of psychology at Xiamen University in Fujian province, said the girl's behavior was developmentally appropriate for her age.
"Children around the ages of two to three years old naturally cry and act out as part of their developmental process," Guo said, adding that such behaviour is entirely normal at that stage of their psychological and physiological growth.
The professor also criticised the child's grandparents.
"It is concerning that the grandparents allowed strangers to take the child to the bathroom for discipline," she said.
"Entrusting the care and discipline of grandchildren to strangers is both risky and unreasonable."
Guo also took issue with the approach taken by the two passengers.
"The so-called discipline administered in the bathroom seemed more like a threat than effective teaching," she said, adding that authoritative methods are not suitable for young children, and it is even more problematic when applied by strangers.
"Even for parents, using intimidation as a parenting technique is not advisable," she said.
The handling of young travellers on public transportation in China has long been a topic of debate, with many complaining about disruptive behaviour while others advocate more tolerance.
In this case, Guo suggested that airlines could better address the needs of crying children by offering comfort items such as cookies or toys.
"Chinese believe that to care for the young reflects a society's overall civility and compassion," she said.
"Tolerance toward vulnerable groups is a manifestation of the collective moral standards of society." - China Daily/ANN
