To have confronted a mother smacking her child in public

[Roux95]

I was with OH in a clothes shop this afternoon looking for some bits. It was an extreme rarity for us to be child free so we were enjoying having a wander round without the double buggy!

When looking at some clothes I could hear a hysterical child having a tantrum, a hissing (parent i assume) and the sound of smacking. I looked around the racks I was browsing and sure enough a woman was knelt down at child height, hissing at the toddler to behave, smacked the child on the chest area and then went to smack the child's face but shot her hand down when she clocked that I was watching.

I was angered by what I saw and raised my voice at her to stop hitting the child, i told her we don't do that crap here (she was european - this is possibly not relevant but I know some cultures parent differently) and that her behaviour was disgusting and she should be ashamed and how would she like it if somebody her own size hit her.

This must have shocked the child as they stopped crying and the mother(?) sheepishly put the child into the pram rushed off.

OH was visibly embarrassed at being part of this confrontation but I think I was justified personally. In hindsight I think I could have said all of the above without raising my voice but my maternal instinct kicked in and I was furious for the child.

Was I being unreasonable for interesting? What would you have done?

For all of you saying that it's ok, it's not illegal - I guarantee if someone other than yourself slapped your child (a teacher or a nurse for e.g.), you'd be the first to complain.

If I went around the place smacking other adults across the legs forcefully, thumping them, smacking their arses - I'd be locked up. But we can do it to tiny little humans. Fuck that shit.

I hope that I never smack my child and certainly not in anger.

But it’s not illegal in the U.K. provided it doesn’t leave a mark ... so you may have over stepped.

The protection adults are offered is not comparable to the protection little children have. If I got annoyed with my employee, took out his hand and smacked him forcefully - I'd be sacked for one and charged with assault for 2. Yet, we're allowed to beat children?

Can you imagine a manager in a factory, walking around the floor who comes across an employee dawdling or something and the manager hits him on the back of the head and says 'get on with your fucking work you useless prick'.?

Well can you imagine that?

Yet that's what little children experience daily. And it's ok.

Well done OP you did the right thing...I'm not sure how I would of re-acted...probably too scared of a verbal tirade off the vile woman.
What concerns me is that as she freely smacked her child in a public place, it's pretty likely that this is what she (and maybe father) do at home.
I've not seen a child smacked in public, but I've seen and heard aggressive and verbal abuse by parents and roughly grabbing coat hoods and arms etc.on way too many occasions......and it makes me feel physically sick.

I think one of the main reasons the law hasn't been passed in England and why some apposed it in Scotland is because of the idea of punishing parents. Personally I think it should be illegal throughout the whole of the uk, but with increase in support for parents on how to deal with children's behaviour and more funding put in place to allow that to happen.

I think it would be impossible to police this TBH. All that would happen is that it would drive it behind closed doors.

I think we should focus on educating rather than legislating. Attitudes have changed considerably in the last 20 years. There used to be far more people arguing that it was a legitimate form of discipline in the past.

It's not illegal to smack a child in England unless you leave a mark. Having said that, on a childs skin, anything but a gentle slap would inevitably leave a mark, particularly a slap round the face. Whilst it is technically legal, it is still very frowned upon by most, and I would wonder what they do at home if they are bold enough to do that in public. I probably would have said something too.

@GenderfreeJoe And I think it will need to stay that way, because it can only be proved if there is a mark left. But I think a mum who slaps a child's face and chest will be leaving a mark, and will be doing more at other times.