what would you do?

I'm serious here btw

What would you do if you heard a small child (approx. 3 or 4) being smacked & verbally abused?

My instinct is to confront the adults, but I'm scared it may backfire somehow on the little one

 

Contact the authorities

 

It likely would backfire... your instinct is spot on. Contacting social services would be the best option... as antithesis said.

Parents who treat their children that way are showing their own immaturity and wouldn't react well to a confrontation as that likely would escalate their own stress that they already appear to be taking out on the kids.

 

Contacting the authorities is best. Confronting the parent is likely to anger them more. They won't take it out on you because they are weak; they'll just take it out on the kid.

Sad thing is that it takes a lot to get a parent in for counseling/jail. I work in education and have seen it time and time again. Parents commiting abuse/neglect that has me fighting mad, the authorities come in, and they basically say they're powerless to do anything because "its the first offense" of "there is no real evidence of abuse."

Contacting the authorities will at least create a record of the behavior. Be relentless. Contact them everytime. Let Child protective services know in writing that you fear for the child's mental and physical well being. That way, when they drop the ball, there's hell to pay.

Its a fucked up system

 

Contact the authorities immediately. The only other consideration I would have is if I felt that the child was in immediate danger and would be hurt before the authorities arrived then I would have no choice but to step in and hopefully either distract enough until they got there or remove the child if their life was in danger.

 

i'd confront them and tell em to wise up, and then call the cops..

 

Depends on the context of the situation. If a child was being disciplined (Okay, maybe we would have to exclude verbal abuse), then fair enough. But if the child was being attacked, that's different and you would have to contact the authorities.

I was brought up in the knowledge that if I was naughty I would get a smacked bottom, so as it's a judgement call on the severity of it all.

And no, I am not condoning abuse.

 

give the parents a high-five

they have probably read my writings on prebeating

 

If the situation is worrying enough that you've asked for advise here it sounds like you need to call social services. They are legally bound not to tell who the "whistle blower" is. The child may already be on the "at risk" register and known to the authorities.

 

Break a foot off in they ass.

Naw, I'd call the cops.

 

piss my pants, call the fire department, and order a pizza

in that order

 

i agree.

 

bunch of tattle tales in here

 

I'd make a citizens arrest,call the cops and intervene if the child was in danger. Let the chips fall where they may. I'm a big person with a loud voice and I don't fear cowards who like to pick on little ones or bully anyone ,for that matter.I would do the same for animals.

 

Call the authorities, if they treat their kids like that in public who knows what goes on at home?

 

I would have said this too

 

I would definitely want to confront them because that's disgusting. I don't support hitting children for any purpose, not even discipline. But in the end there's really nothing I can do about it. I'm pretty sure it would be in public and the person would be gone by the time the cops arrived. Anything I do myself would just result in the parents getting angrier and possibly taking it out on the child. Or a fight between the parent and I, which the kid really doesn't have to see.

 

Don't worry Fitzy, I would call if someone was beating on you. Promise.

 

Physical abuse: If I thought the child was in imminent danger I’d step in otherwise I’d contact the authorities.

Verbal abuse: I’d simply give the parent my best scowl and walk away


H