Awful

[BookBint]

Just got back from the supermarket on my lunch break, my fragile faith in humanity utterly crushed... I went to *chav*market rather than *more expensive but your fillings are safe*market because it's closer and I was pressed for time. I wish I'd made the effort to go the extra mile.

I was standing in queue behind a woman who was covered in tacky gold jewellry, exceptionally ugly tattoos (I do not wish to annoy those with tattoos in general, these were just really bad) and wearing a strappy top about five sizes too small so her large bottom and rolls of back fat were straining to get free. Say it with me, 'just because you think you're a size six, doesn't mean you are a size six.'

She had a small boy with her, not older than three. He seemed pretty well behaved, just standing there looking around curiously as children do. Then he spotted the rack of chocolate bars next to the till (why do stores do this? Calculated evil and reliance on the nag factor). He picks up a Milky Way and looks up at his mother with a pleading look. She immediately yells 'No! Put it away!' and he cowers slightly and immediately replaces it, good as gold.

However, clearly he (and I for that matter) was a little scared by her response, and he starts to whimper very quietly, not loudly like some bratty kids that don't get their way, just as if he was frightened. The cashier sees he's upset and says 'there there, honey'. The mother looks down, gives him an almighty smack across the ear and says 'don't bother about him, he's just a little cunt.'

[crazylegs]

Physical abuse? Check

Mental abuse? Check

I do rather hope his teachers are on the ball and notice his behaviour and raise concerns with social services because that is horrific behaviour on her part.

[Sheldonrs]

As I've said before, I don't really like children...probaly because they are too honest for me. :-)

But I truly believe that ANYONE who treats a child like that should just be shot.
And it should be legal to do so.

[Whiskey]

Even my little black heart is imploring me to firebomb this womans house. What a horrible person.

[blas]

One time when I was working at the gas station, some of the annoying neighborhood terror kids came in for candy. They didn't have enough.

I told them nicely that they didn't have enough, and one literally covered his head and drew far back from me, as if I was going to hit him or something. They weren't very short, I made up the rest and let them have it, told them "Just this once" and let them on their way. Poor kids never even had shoes in the spring and summer.

I was freaking on the inside. I told my manager about what happened, and she described who their parents were, turns out they were two regular SCs. Toothless, smelly, nasty regulars who came in almost two or three times a day for cheap smokes, cheap beer, maybe a gallon of gas or two, and to throw a general fit about anything and everything.

[MoonCat]

The mother looks down, gives him an almighty smack across the ear and says 'don't bother about him, he's just a little cunt.'

Would CPS even do anything about it though? I tried to report someone once and they not only refused to take it seriously, the guy actually sounded annoyed that I called. Maybe in your case because you actually saw it, they would take it seriously?

[Mishi]

My first call would have been to the police, right then and there in front of the woman. She sounds like the type to stay and argue that it wasn't child abuse, giving the police plenty of time to arrive.

I reported my brother's ex for neglect, I was babysitting my nephew and he had such severe nappy rash that he'd started to develop ulcers!

[elsporko]

Would CPS even do anything about it though? I tried to report someone once and they not only refused to take it seriously, the guy actually sounded annoyed that I called. Maybe in your case because you actually saw it, they would take it seriously?

CPS usually take themselves seriously but it could depend on the nature of the call. If they thought you were crazy they might not take you seriously.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

I count myself blessed that I'm not one of those. Family history is such that this could've been me, had my mom not hated what her family was like, and changed her ways-- literally, went against her natural response every time she disciplined me or my sister, and produced two (relatively) normal people. Her cousins (and therefore mine) have treated their kids like that, and had them taken away. I have a girl cousin who ... well... currently she's doing better.
I think I'll go pray for that kid, for whatever that's worth. And for justice. And for the ... 'mother.' She should be happy and grateful I'm not God.

[PepperElf]

one of my sister's best friends was teaching at the grade school level i think (or middle school) and saw similar behavior... a parent slapping her son HARD.


what made it worse was then the parent realized the teacher had seen it... she said, "If you call CPS on me, I'll just beat him HARDER when we get home!"


some people are really fucked up.

[Magpie]

what made it worse was then the parent realized the teacher had seen it... she said, "If you call CPS on me, I'll just beat him HARDER when we get home!"

That one disgusts me even more, because she knows what she's doing is wrong (or at least that it's illegal because society considers it wrong, which might be cause for second thoughts). The other cases could, possibly, be people who just think that what they're doing is just making sure the kid listens, or whatever else people use to justify that sort of behaviour to themselves.

I hope that the teacher did call CPS. Because I really doubt that failing to call them is going to help that kid in the long run. (And, ironically enough, that threat the mom made would probably help the kid, because couldn't that be used as additional evidence against her, making it easier to get the kid away to safety?)