Husband touched a kid to reprimand them on school trip

Really? I thought they were a fairly common thing. It's just a bit of fun for the end of summer term

StillTryingtoBuy "I agree that adults should be keeping the peace. The child in question was not “feral” and tapping someone to reprimand them, which is what OP said happened; is inappropriate."

I know what the title says, but it looks to me, having read the details, as if that was the abbreviated version of:- 'He tapped her on the head to get her attention before he verbally reprimanded her.'

I don’t blame you @Macaroni46 it all sounds such a nightmare.

The police? Don’t you think they’ve got better things to be doing?? It’s spelt disgusting, by the way. HTH

Its not nonsense,
Others have had their careers ruined by complaints for exactly this.

In the 'good old days' when Headteachers had sense they would just give the teacher a telling off, nowadays it is entirely plausible for the HT to escalate is up through the DSL and LADO for inappropriate touching of a child, and yes it could cost the teacher their job.

The title of the thread is “Husband touched a kid to reprimand them on school trip” and the original post doesn’t say anything about getting her attention.

I work with older kids. 12 -16. We are forbidden to touch them in any way. However i used to work in a primary school and we were also not allowed to touch any children.

I guess it depends on how strictly schopls enforce the rules. But best practice advises not to touch children unless it is an emergency

I have worked in education for the last 35 years and understand very well the expectations on staff and also used to volunteer to go on several trips each year when my daughter was at primary school. From what the OP has said, her husband touched, not smacked, the head of a brat who was being continuously disruptive. For a previous poster to suggest that the police could be involved is, in my opinion, totally bonkers. The world has gone mad.

He didn't tap to reprimand her he tapped to get her attention.

I agree with this

The OP said to reprimand in the first post. Nothing about getting her attention.

You are thinking of the kids. Again thats very naive.

The teacher would lose her job if she hugged the kids. Are you happy for her to lose her job?

Ideally he wouldn't have touched her. But I imagine, the head is trying to get the full version of events, so they can tell the parents that he was touching her to get attention and while not ideal, it doesn't warrant further action.

All the posters saying, teachers cant touch children in schools - it happens all the time in my DCs primary school. Kids being gently steered out of the way, or touched on the arm to get their attention is totally normal. I agree tapping a child on the head wasn't a great choice from a parent on the trip, but it also wasn't unthinkable behaviour.

So your dh tapped a child on the head from behind to get their attention, not as a reprimand? If so, this sounds like quite a big storm in a teacup to me. Of course, you only have your dh's word for it, but if it happened as he said it did then I'd think a quick reminder of the rules would be sufficient.

You make a good point @Bumblebee72 I’m certainly not sorry to have left the teaching profession.

I think it is very immature to say it is "bonkers".

If you worked in a school you would know how seriously they take touching children.

People are at risk of losing their career, being fired and potentially being prosecuted if they touch a child in any way

Its taken extemely seriously in schools

I would feel sad for my kids if their teachers weren't ever allowed to show any sort of affection towards them.

I was replying to someone who called the child in question feral though: “As an adult, you keep the peace, you don't let the feral one ruining the trip for everyone else, literally your job.”

I agree that adults should be keeping the peace. The child in question was not “feral” and tapping someone to reprimand them, which is what OP said happened; is inappropriate.

Why do they do that? Sorry, I've never heard of this before.

It seems quite an OTT from the kid and other parents. Yes he shouldn’t have touched, but lets out things in proportion. Did she need medical care? Are there marks? Did she report it immediately or wait until she was home? Does her story change sbd gets embellished each time?

I eould expect headteacher to remind parent to not touch children. If the police are involved, unless there was actual harm, they are unlikely to prosecute. The parents might be after a payout, but they won’t get anywhere as they would have to demonstrate the harm.

I imagine the head teacher will want to hear your dh’s side of events. I would also expect the head teacher to say he is banned from attending further school trips. I can’t see the ban being extended to you but they may try keep you and the other family separate from now on.

It very much depends how the other child’s parents feel about the situation. They may speak to the police or they may leave it.

I understand your dh was tired and the child was being annoying but your dh is the adult responsible for his actions.

It's basically a fun run where they throw coloured powder all over you

No. She thinks the overreactions from some posters are what’s wrong with the country.
It’s a storm in a teacup. It was a tap for for god’s sake, not an assault.

But why not cough, if you’re standing over the seat to ‘tap’ then it’s quite easy to get attention without this? Touch their shoulder through the seat, all things I can imagine someone doing.
The OPs husbands side of the story just doesn’t seem plausible. Who would tap their head to get attention? Especially when he’s shown questionable behaviour already by falling asleep on the coach. Never seen a parent/ grandparent on a trip do that before, could well be a first for the school too.

If you can't intervene before they get to full feral state, that is how you end up with feral kids.