‘Natural parenting’: naked China boy running on all fours raises concerns over child welfare
Online rumours suggest boy’s parents could be profiting by posting videos of him on dark web, but government deny such allegations
A Chinese boy was spotted running on all fours naked and behaving like a dog, while his parents dismissed government inquiries, claiming it was a form of “natural parenting.”
On October 15, a video was posted online showing a naked boy running on all fours in a highway service area in southwestern China’s Sichuan province.
Social media users were shocked to see the boy acting like a dog, picking up food from the ground with his mouth and sniffing it before eating.
His parents were nearby, travelling in a recreational vehicle (RV) alongside a one-year-old child and a dog. The parents and toddler were dressed. The father also appeared to be teaching the toddler how to walk by supporting them under the arms.
The video raised concerns about child welfare.
It was later revealed that local social workers and police officers had visited the family, who live in Nanjian county in southwestern Yunnan province, multiple times but were shut out by them.
The family, including the boy’s parents and grandparents, insisted they practised “natural parenting” with the three-year-old boy.
