Mother Kicks Child Model

A viral video clip showing a mother kicking her three-year-old daughter as she modeled during an outdoor photo shoot has sparked public outrage and accusations of child abuse. The video suggests the mother swiftly kicked the small girl in the backside because she was not following the photographer’s directions. Although the mother immediately posted an apology online saying she was just preventing her daughter from “running out on the road,” many weren’t buying it, especially after a netizen uncovered another video of the mother’s alleged abuse, this time hitting the child with a hanger. The news drew attention to China’s largely unregulated child modeling industry, where parents often force children to work more than 10 hours a day. Although Chinese laws allow children to work for arts or sports organizations and companies with their parent’s permission, netizens called for industry-specific regulations to protect children against mistreatment and abuse.