To be really shocked at what's just happened

[octobersky19]

I'm walking with DH, DS 8mo in the pram and I'm pregnant.

Next thing, two kids around 5/6 start shouting:

"Hey fatty, hey bitch... do you suck his penis... "

Followed by so much more stuff, all kinds of disgusting language I never in a million years would assume a child would know

Another lady walking past with a baby in a pram was called a "stupid slag"

I asked where their mother was, it became apparent she was sitting inside of a cafe. After more abuse my DH went into the cafe and asked their mum if they were her children and explained what they'd been saying...

She shouts a man, says "[name] go sort your fking kids out"

Husband shuts door, we go on our way.

Man comes out, shouts my husband accuses him of speaking to his wife like shit, accuses him of slamming door, hes in my husbands face and demanding an apology, the man apologised to me???? And then calls my husband obscenities.

A little google later, he's well known in my area. I can't say much.

I'm in absolute shock, my husband is the furthest from rude and I can't believe what's actually just happened I'm shaking! I thought he was going to attack my husband.

His wife did not seem to be bothered by what my husband told her, she didn't seem offended.

I needed to rant, I'm in shock.

Report it OP. Those poor children are being actively harmed.
You can't not say anything.

Report it as if you were an onlooker. Say that you witnessed the scene, saw the man come out and shout abuse at a couple, then screaming at the kids.
Just from a different perspective, if they're well known I'd imagine there's been reports before.

Please don't just do nothing.

[quote Time2change2]@UltimateWednesday exactly. If you know anyone who works in child protection then you will know that it takes far more than shouting sexual language And parents being threatening for anyone to be able to do anything, however it doesn’t hurt. Enough calls and something might be investigated[/quote]
The father was being threatening to the OP though, not to the kids. Do SS still intervene in cases where a stranger is threatened? But I can see them getting involved for the sexual talk from the kids. That would be a red flag, I think.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

They’re obviously imitating their parents, but I think they’re probably also doing it to get attention. If they’re just permanently subdued at home and, instead of cuddles or adults showing an interest, are just told to F-off and given a tirade of verbal abuse (and who knows what other abuse too), I can kind of understand how they might go outside and do this. Very negative attention is still attention to those who aren’t getting any.

I genuinely don't understand how these people can operate at that level of rage all the time. All of that 'who you looking at?" aggression constantly simmering on the surface. They seem to be endlessly looking for people to confront.

It must be a horrible way to feel .

I totally agree - it must be just so exhausting living like that. What must their resting blood pressure be like? Even if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t really have the ability for reasoned thought and calm disputing and will instead see a fist fight as a valid/standard way of resolving differences, I still don’t understand why you would spend your whole time actively seeking fights. It’s a physical equivalent of that horrible way of speaking that some people have where every other word begins with an F. Not in the context of wanting to express a very serious emotion, but just as punctuation. Try it with any other word and it's clear as day how intensely stupid it makes you sound: "Sausage, I sausaging told him just sausaging shut it or.... sausaging.... I'll sausaging kill yer, sausaging - just sausage off you sausaging sausage."

It sounds so pathetic when they just launch into a swear word when they clearly haven’t thought about what words will follow it. What’s wrong with using ‘hmmm’, 'well' or ‘er’ (or even just a moment’s silence) to buy yourself a few seconds’ thinking time like everybody else?

Surely life is just so much easier and more pleasant when you default to 'nice' and only escalate things when genuinely necessary? Why would you choose the difficult way and want to expend all of that energy on a permanent basis?

it is sad. as well as risk of sexual abuse those parents are setting a poor example for the kids ebcause they will end up thinking that being rude and bullying people is how they get what they want. That is how spoilt brats are created. From witnessing their parents bullying others and being loud and aggressive, seeking attention just to be "top dog." Those poor kids.

That response is exactly why, sadly, I would ignore and walk on.

@FudgeBrownie2019

Christ those poor children. What chance do they have of ever doing anything if that's the example they're set?

They don't. They're screwed. Maybe his childhood was the same.

the lesson is to mind your own business. sorry about that.. never get involved... why would you stop from your own day to report some kids for their disgusting language...- what the hell do you care..?

If your house caught fire whilst you were on holiday, would you want people to 'mind their own business'? Why should they care if their own houses aren't at risk?

It's not just disgusting language per se - it's quite specific sexually-descriptive talk. From teenagers, I'd probably sigh and let it go, but these are kids who've not long started school (or should have).

They're obviously hoping to shock and seek negative attention from ordinary adults as they pass by, but just think about what could happen if they encounter a paedophile or other abusive personality - an adult or maybe an older child - who engages with them based on what they've shouted and asks if they've ever done it - and, if not, would they like to. Terrifying to think of.

I work with these children every day, they do have a chance, but not much of one. It's terribly upsetting but you must do what you can.

the lesson is to mind your own business. sorry about that.. never get involved... why would you stop from your own day to report some kids for their disgusting language...- what the hell do you care..

I sometimes think that if someone had stepped in when Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were initially displaying this type of behaviour, then the final outcome of their story may have been very different for many people. Child protection is everyone's business.

The point is kids of that age should not be using language like that, if this is what you’re seeing in the street you wonder what the heck happens at home. If no one ever steps in and reports it who will? Who will protect these kids from parents who expose them to things they are not equipped to deal with along with verbal abuse and possibly more?...their parents clearly can’t and won’t parent properly so we just have to let them get on with it? Children can’t stand up for themselves, they rely on adults to do that, I hope these kids are on someone’s radar, school/police/ss as it seems people on the street don’t care enough to think child protection is their responsibility

I’m sure the feral kids will grow up to delightful adults like their parents. OP, you are right to be shocked and angry.
Some people have kids, others breed, like the people you mention.

I would report this, and I'm really not easily shocked. Happy to be corrected, but I understand young children using sexually explicit language is a big safeguarding red flag.

onlyherefortheguineapigs social services will be interested in someone being threatened in front of the children, they will class it as emotional abuse and placing the kids at risk of witnessing violence. The language is shocking as well as the fact that they were shouting at strangers. I would be amazed if this family were not already known to social services. At review meetings the social worker will look for information from every agency to assess the situation so if you tell police they will let social services know and they will be grateful for the information

Tianalia, people did step in, in the case of RT and JV, it was services that let them down. Neighbours and the pub the Parents drank in, reported stuff frequently. It was that case that changed a few laws.

OP, I would report it as a passer-by. They will be known to services, but because of lock down they will be the children falling further through the net.

You can report this via NSPCC if you want to remain anonymous, but if you go directly to social services your details won’t be released to the family anyway. It happened in a public place, any passerby’s could have reported it.