Yesterday I was helping out at school as a group from ds' class were on an outdoor learning trip to the neighboring woods. The grandad of one of ds' best friends was also helping.
I was assisting another child making a leaf picture but looked up when I heard a noise of someone being hit on the back (the kind of hollow sound you get). Ds started crying I went over to see him, thinking that he and his friend had just hit one another as they'd been squabbling over leaves but after a while (he was crying quite a lot) I worked out that he was saying that "S's grandad has just kicked me in the back!".
He kept saying it, in the end, quite clearly but the 'outdoor learning specialist' who was leading the group and the TA who was also with us carried on helping the other children and didn't interfere in the scene.
Of course, I didn't actually see what happened but I think ds was grabbing leaves out of his friend's pile and the grandad poked/tapped/kicked ds in the back (hard enough to make a sound, but not to leave a mark) to get him to stop it.
I was very taken aback by all this and not at all sure how to react. I comforted ds told him to apologise to his friend and left it at that.
Now, I'm worrying that I should have done more.