Just witnessed some horrible parenting

[Scion123]

In the local park and a family (looks like the mum’s are sisters with their children). Mum gets on one of those big basket swings with her mum. The aunt starts swinging them, little girl gets very upset, sobbing and shouting ‘Please stop I feel sick’. The mum’s are absolutely creased up with laughter. Poor little girls gets more and more distressed and eventually starts screaming. Aunt is still pushing higher and higher. The girl then goes silent and they gradually bring the swing to a hault. She says ‘I couldn’t breathe’ and is doing those deep sobs. Takes herself off and sits quietly by herself while the mum’s are still cackling like a pair of hyenas.

Stupid bitches.

Are you in Wigan?
A usual thing to witness here, unfortunately. It's usually dads though, not mums and aunties.

It stands to reason if they were being such cunts to their child / niece then they weren't going to take kindly to a stranger intervening?

Not getting why some people don't get this???

that sounds just awful, and you know that if you intervene in any way the adults will interpret it as a slight and blame the child for it.
I hope that little girl has someone to turn to.

How on earth does that suggest "abuse of a sexual nature"?

They are knobheads, think they're "toughening her up" or something, bit of a leap to suggest they are nonces though! MN is weird

It sounds very upsetting, and I agree with those who say there was not much you could have done in those circumstances. The post about sexual abuse, though? What?

In that situation I wouldn't have said anything. All that's likely to happen is you get a mouthful of abuse, and potentially worse, and possibly the child then cops it twice as bad later for getting the parents hassle. I always dreaded anyone well meaning 'having a word' with my parents as we kids paid the price later.

DullPortraits no I didn’t explain exactly who was there and what they were saying because it wasn’t what my post was about, it quickly became relevant when posters jumped on me for not intervening.

Pushing on a swing in an unpleasant way will probably lead to the child being sexually abused

I have really seen it all now on MN

That sounds horrible op. Not sure what you could have done.

I once posted on here that I saw a bloke and his wife/gf have a full on fight front of their DC and was asked why I didn't intervene for the sake of the child it's easy to say that from the comfort of your armchair. Just ignore.

and I’ve never referred to them as loud mouth gangs of people I said they were loud mouths and had partners with them.

How awful. I am not surprised you were upset witnessing that.

AnActualWoman it’s just horrible to feel like you didn’t do anything to protect a vulnerable child when other people would have stepped in. I’ve helped a few strangers before, one was a lady who was sobbing on a harbour wall,I sat and chatted with her until her friend arrived. A lost child. I shouted out of the car window once at a group of youths who were picking on a kid. Injured wildlife. All zero risk to myself though. I suppose I subconsciously judged the situation in that moment and decided it was too risk but I do feel pathetic now that I just watched.

Sorry but I would always say something if a child is being mistreated, and I do.
People not doing anything when they see something small happen are the reason these things escalate and children up being seriously injured or killed.

at "Are you in Wigan "

I am referring to everyones comments regarding my response to your original post. Everyone giving me shit when half of the information wasn't available when i commented. My point still stands if you witness abuse to a level it upsets you that much, dont just sit there and write on mumsnet about it later.. if you cant confront them quietly walk away and report it to someone who can intervene. If people treat children like that in plain sight and get away with it imagine what they get away with behind closed doors.

DullPortraits and as I said previously, just ask me why I didn’t feel able to intervene instead of jumping on me. Ask for more information.

report it to someone who can intervene.

Who could I report it to? Genuinely?

I mean I’m asking a genuine question (not if you’re being genuine).

"People not doing anything when they see something small happen are the reason these things escalate and children up being seriously injured or killed."

Surely it's the abusers that are the reason things escalate?

I sort of get what you're saying, even though it's not entirely accurate, but people can only be reasonably expected to do something if they feel safe or confident to do so. Op didn't.

I'm so sorry OP that you witnessed this. I understand being unable to intervene. I've intervened on a couple of occasions and it ended in bloodshed (literally). Once I was breastfeeding my newborn in a crowded play park and one mother threatened me (waved her fists in my face) and hurled abuse at me for doing so. Nobody intervened. I understand why. It's hard though. I'd sometimes wonder if surreptitiously filming is the way to go.

The sexual abuse comment - wtaf???! Leaping to conclusions much?

I think the sexual abuse comment might have meant that this little girl is abused by her parents, starts to equate abuse with love and if she has a partner in the future who is sexually abusive she may not even realise that he’s doing that to her.

AloneLonelyLoner thankyou. That must have been terrifying for you especially with a babe in arms. I’d hope that in a situation like that I’d at least come and sit with you afterwards and ask if you’re ok.

My point still stands if you witness abuse to a level it upsets you that much, dont just sit there and write on mumsnet about it later.. if you cant confront them quietly walk away and report it to someone who can intervene. If people treat children like that in plain sight and get away with it imagine what they get away with behind closed doors.

Yes, intervene and get your head kicked in in front if your own child
Report it to who? The police? Strangers in the park?

Yes I have gotten involved with some parents - one of whom was strangling their child - not hard but hard enough for the little boy to have marks around his neck and go to his mum & say 'dad tried to hurt my neck'. It was in Clarks shoeshop - I even told staff and they were all like 'oh dear, is he still doing it' - me - 'no he's stopped now but the boy is really upset' - staff ' oh dear'.
In the meantime the parent notices that I have complained about her, she lost her mind at me and asked me to take her children home.

I don't regret it though, but it was a bit of a spectacle - staff saw the marks around his neck, did nothing at all, I would have expected more from the shop staff but...

I don't blame op for not saying anything but I think really the world would be a nicer place if we did say something like 'hey, your dd seems really upset, would she like to play with us for a bit?' a lot of these parents don't really know how to parent or look after their children, to me its really about doing something positive.
It isn't very easy to confront people though, its really hard especially if you have children with you.

I'm interested - how many people have actually confronted or talked to someone who they consider is actively abusing or hurting their children?