I have seen
this, and I did not walk away quietly. Once, I yelled, “He’s a baby!” “Mind your #$% business!” the child’s mother
ordered. While she spewed her curses at me at least her child had a respite,
and maybe she will think before she does that again, in public or the privacy of her home.
One social
worker suggested to approach if possible, if not, call 911. Another points out how important it is to
suss out the situation first, she too said 911 is probably the best solution,
this way it gets reported. A social worker from
Brooklyn emphasized that this is a community issue and it’s time to take ownership of
it. Get involved some sort of way.
In light of
the news of sports figures and their domestic violence issues against children and women,
many organizations and city agencies come to mind, such as Stop Abuse,
dedicated to stopping the history of domestic of abuse in families against
women and children. It’s a very informative site as is that of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (all states have their own sites
and protocols). NYC Administration for Children’s Services is another government office, and there are others like it nationwide.
Etiquette,
a funny word when talking about abusive behavior toward children. An ironic
thought because often times children are disciplined harshly for displaying a
lack of manners and respect. They are punished in ways that clearly demonstrate a lack of civility.
1 comment:
A thoughtful and timely blog post. Yes, this is an interesting dilemma
you post on being polite while witnessing abuse. I choose to be
politically incorrect and get in the face of the mother and scream
verbal abuses. While I am sure all the on-lookers will be more mortified
by my behavior than the mother's hitting.
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