What should I have done? (Or what should I do next time?)

[Anonymous]

Is this a MYOB situation, or a call child services immediately situation?

I was on the bus a couple days ago in mid afternoon with a friend, and saw a man on the bus pushing a double stroller with two sleeping children (approx ages 18-24 months and 8-9 months). The bus was very noisy and jumpy, and the toddler woke up. He began shouting and yelling, not crying, just like singing at the top of his lungs nonsensically. The dad noticed, appeared angry, turned the stroller around and avoided eye contact, and began pushing the stroller back and forth. He was obviously hoping the toddler would go back to sleep, and rocking the stroller may have worked like that for a baby, but this toddler was wide awake, and only started shouting louder. Dad did not talk to or interact with his son at all (a gentle reminder that baby is sleeping or a distraction of a quiet toy or book might have helped).

Predictably, baby woke up after a few minutes, screaming. The dad looked very angry, and turned the stroller around, and started speaking loudly and very harshly (somewhere between hissing and shouting), in Spanish, at the toddler. The toddler kept shouting, and that's when Dad grabbed his little wrist, and visibly squeezed it very hard and shook it as he continued berating his toddler. The toddler began screaming and crying, sobbing for several minutes, while the dad gave the baby a bottle. They got off at the next stop, possibly because I was staring at the man, horrified.

I turned to my friend and asked his opinion on whether I should call the police about possible abuse, and he (who I should mention has zero experience with kids), said "no, it's a cultural thing, let him raise his kid how he wants and try to forget about it."

What say you, DCUM? If I see something like this again should I immediately call the authorities, or should I mind my own business?

[Anonymous]

Yelling at a child is not a crime
Squeezing a wrist is not a crime.

I have a friend who uses a belt almost daily on her children and screams at them several times a day. It is not abuse and she is allowed to parent as she sees fit as does this man.

Had her caused a severe injury like pulled out a knife and stabbed his son yes call the police. But yelling and squeezing a wrist is just silly

[Anonymous]

The authorities would think you are nuts for calling for abuse.

[Anonymous]

Not being snarky but how is using a belt daily not child abuse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not being snarky but how is using a belt daily not child abuse?

It's not against the law. She is not going to loose her children because of it.

[Anonymous]

Do I think the dad was right? No. Do I think it warrants a call to the cops? No.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't call authorities for something like this OP.

I might try to make eye contact w/ the toddler, make some funny faces, etc... and then give the dad a sympathetic look.

[Anonymous]

Dad might be having a bad day. CPS won't do anything with what you saw.

A belt is a different story. It is abuse and PP should report it. Her friend is a dumbass, did she hear about Adrian Peterson?

[Anonymous]

Using a belt is child abuse. How can you call a person like that a friend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yelling at a child is not a crime
Squeezing a wrist is not a crime.

I have a friend who uses a belt almost daily on her children and screams at them several times a day. It is not abuse and she is allowed to parent as she sees fit as does this man.

Had her caused a severe injury like pulled out a knife and stabbed his son yes call the police. But yelling and squeezing a wrist is just silly

You are wrong and obviously condone this abuse.

[Anonymous]

In my humble opinion using a belt and and screaming ata child or other way hurting them- is child abuse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yelling at a child is not a crime
Squeezing a wrist is not a crime.

I have a friend who uses a belt almost daily on her children and screams at them several times a day. It is not abuse and she is allowed to parent as she sees fit as does this man.

Had her caused a severe injury like pulled out a knife and stabbed his son yes call the police. But yelling and squeezing a wrist is just silly

You are wrong and obviously condone this abuse.

agreed. This is sbuse PP and if you know about it you should report it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yelling at a child is not a crime
Squeezing a wrist is not a crime.

I have a friend who uses a belt almost daily on her children and screams at them several times a day. It is not abuse and she is allowed to parent as she sees fit as does this man.

Had her caused a severe injury like pulled out a knife and stabbed his son yes call the police. But yelling and squeezing a wrist is just silly

Did someone whip you with a belt when you were a child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yelling at a child is not a crime
Squeezing a wrist is not a crime.

I have a friend who uses a belt almost daily on her children and screams at them several times a day. It is not abuse and she is allowed to parent as she sees fit as does this man.

Had her caused a severe injury like pulled out a knife and stabbed his son yes call the police. But yelling and squeezing a wrist is just silly

Did someone whip you with a belt when you were a child?

NP. Yes, and I didn’t think it was abuse, until a teacher saw the welts and turned my mom into CPS... It’s abuse, please call.

[Anonymous]

It's not abuse and you MYOB.