Saw a dad hit their child on the school run. Do I report it?

[Moanyoldcow]

Please tell me if I'm over reacting. I'm extremely anti-corporal punishment, was not hit as a child and do not hit my son.

On the school run this morning there was a father and son who I see most mornings. They were a little late today and the boy was really agitated about it asking his dad to hurry. His dad was annoyed and kept saying they were very close (which is true) and to stop worrying.

The boy was obviously upset and pushed his dad. His dad responded by hitting him twice on the back of his head. It happened about 8ft in front of me.

I said (loudly but didn't shout) 'don't hit your child' twice. He turned to me and put his finger up to me like he was about to shout and I said again 'don't hit your child'. He was very angry but just said 'FINE' and we all finished the walk to school arriving about 1 min after the bell.

I know that parents can hit their children within limits so what he did wasn't illegal. I suppose I worry that if he'll do that in public, what does he do in private?

I would recognise him and the child so I could make a report - I just don't want to blow one incident out of proportion but if it's more I'd hate to ignore it.

What should I do?

Well done OP, you made the right decision.

Lozen perhaps a parenting class would be helpful

OP you really had no right to say that, the child is question does not belong to you

Bunkum. It was fine to comment and I would report.

Not defensive at all, I made the right choice. I don't think your a super mum at all, don't you understand sarcasm. Yes you are sanctimonious, thats obvious from your posts. It speaks volumes that you haven't told me how you would have dealt with the situation but just resorted to cheap insulting jibes.

Quite frankly, if the OP thought the dad hit his ds to hard so reported him, I applaud her.

A lawyer who doesn't know the difference between your and you're. Righto then.

I pity some of PPs children if they think that hitting a child on the head is acceptable. Some utter bollocks being spouted on this thread.

It honestly feels like some posters come on here just to be unpleasant for the hell of it

They do OP, they actually do. Ignore them.

Ofgs. Mind your own bees wax🙄

I would report this. Who know what else goes on when the dad gets annoyed about stuff.

I would report it, in my opinion hitting a child in any way is not acceptable. Although it doesn't sound like he has technically broken the law it may be part of a wider issue if he is willing to hit a child in public. If it is bugging you report it.

You're forgetting a big part that the child pushed the parent. isn't it wrong that the child pushed to parent?

Or must children just be allowed to do what they want nowadays?

Furthermore it's none of your concern! what you believe, is for your children and your household.

You're forgetting a big part that the child pushed the parent. isn't it wrong that the child pushed to parent?

Or must children just be allowed to do what they want nowadays?

Furthermore it's none of your concern! what you believe, is for your children and your household.

I never said my child was 3, stop making things up. In fact dd was nowhere near being 3. Actually I think bribery is a very bad idea. You're rewarding bad behaviour. What would you do if they hit another child in an unprovoked attack or vandalised property, buy them a sweetie. I know someone who did that, didn't finish well.

Well done OP you were brave speaking up.

Hitting kids is revolting. I'm afraid I think anyone who hits a child in any capacity is a deficient person.

Penggwn - I think if your point us that because it very likely is not a crime nothing will be done as a result of reporting it then that is a fair point to make.

But you seem to also object to people describing it as assault because it may not fit the legal definition. I am thoroughly in favour of the rule of law, but the law is not a permanent, unchanging construct. It is amended to reflect the evolving opinions of the governed.

Until very recently spousal rape was legal. It became rape in the legal sense when the law changed, but not ethically or logically. The campaign to get it changed succeeded by pointing out that conflict.

We are witnessing a similar shift in views regarding physical punishment. Whether or not the law is ultimately changed far fewer people view it as acceptable and the language around it has shifted accordingly.

When I say that physical punishment us assault I am not asserting that it is a crime. I am using the term descriptively because I cannot logically distinguish between this type of physical altercation and those that are crimes.

If your position is that there is a logical or ethical difference beyond the arbitrary line drawn by the law (which I agree we must stick to while it remains the law), then that's fine and you should make that argument. But at the moment it feels more like an attempt to regulate descriptive language based on a law you don't firmly agree with. That concerns me because changing language is reflective of changing attitudes and helps us triangulate public opinion. I don't think (m)any are unaware of the actual law.

AngelicInnocent I wouldn't keep telling that story if I were you. Just in case you thought it paints your DH in a good light ... it doesn't.

Satellite you can't really justify calling something assault when it isn't assault on the grounds that one day it may be redefined as assault. That's bonkers. And what has rape got to do with it?!

Lozen how old was your DD then?
You're clearly very secure in what you did so what age was she?
" Far away from age 3 " seems odd.
If she was much younger than 3 then you were expecting far too much anyway and if much older than 3 clearly you hadn't taught her properly as generally kids age 5 and over understand roads are dangerous?!

'Just showed my dd your comment and she's crying.

Why would you show her if you know she is so sensitive?