That doesn't look like child abuse at all....

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Bringing in shopping carts at da swamp today, because the service desk people asked so nicely....

I had just dropped a bunch of carts in the corral when I saw a woman and a wailing child...ona leash.

Okay, no biggie, some people believe the leash is necessary to control the kid. Except the kid was being dragged. Along the floor. On the leash. Across a rather rough carpet, so the scraping just made him cry more.

Mom got him between the two sets of automatic doors, pulled him into a standing position, snarled something at him, gave him a good whop, and pulled him out the door. Where he decided to stop walking and now was being dragged across the sidewalk

I followed, while trying to not look like I was following them, to see if I could get a license plate number or something, but then they went back into another store so I gave up there.

[Seshat]

Okay. THAT is abuse of a leash.

It's one thing to use it to keep a hyperactive kid within a certain distance of Mum. But .. no. I draw the line at gravel rash.

[EvilEmpryss]

My opinion:
- Leashing a kid, not abusive.
- Whopping the kid on the hinney, not abusive.
- Snapping angrily at the kid, not abusive (depending on the words used).
- Dragging a kid on a leash if it's a game and/or if the floor is slick and no skin is being burned, not abusive.

x Dragging the kid across carpet and producing rug burns, abusive (only mildly so if the kid is playing a game).
x Dragging the kid across the sidewalk, abusive under any circumstances except when it's the fastest way to get the kid out of imminent danger (fire, car barreling down on him, etc.).
x The leash is attached to anything other than a wrist or a body harness, abusive. Yes, I've seen kids wearing dog collars around their necks.

[LillFilly]

Didn't they just catch a lady like that on video doing that in a store and she got charged??? I hope the kid's school/dr. sees the rug/pavement burn!!

[bainsidhe]

Poor kid.

[MadMike]

My opinion:
- Leashing a kid, not abusive.
- Whopping the kid on the hinney, not abusive.
- Snapping angrily at the kid, not abusive (depending on the words used).
- Dragging a kid on a leash if it's a game and/or if the floor is slick and no skin is being burned, not abusive.

x Dragging the kid across carpet and producing rug burns, abusive (only mildly so if the kid is playing a game).
x Dragging the kid across the sidewalk, abusive under any circumstances except when it's the fastest way to get the kid out of imminent danger (fire, car barreling down on him, etc.).
x The leash is attached to anything other than a wrist or a body harness, abusive. Yes, I've seen kids wearing dog collars around their necks.

These opinions are better suited for Fratching. Please don't turn this thread into a debate about disciplining children.

[EvilEmpryss]

These opinions are better suited for Fratching. Please don't turn this thread into a debate about disciplining children.

Oh, it was definitely not my intention to make this a discipline fratch. I was simply going over the things that the OP saw the mother doing point-by-point and giving my interpretation of the situation.

But your warning is duly noted. . . I'll be more careful.

[Mr Hero]

Love the new avatar, Irv. That "mother of the year" could use the service you offer. Here's $5

[Zellie Crescent]

Damn, Mr Hero beat me to it. Hopefully somebody else followed her and got a plate number, that's just horrible for a mother to that to her child. Sadly me and my mother have seen worse.

[chainedbarista]

Yes, I've seen kids wearing dog collars around their necks.

*blink blink* wha...? i have seen people wearing them, but as a fashion statment, not as a control device.

[BlaqueKatt]

*blink blink* wha...? i have seen people wearing them, but as a fashion statment, not as a control device.

um actually on consenting adults-it may be more of the latter than the former.....or erm....so I've heard

what?

why are you all looking at me like that?

[dalesys]

...why are you all looking at me like that?

Not looking. Just nodding sagely... or should that be parsley?

[zzapp the witch]

My safety word is Penguin.

[zombiequeen]

I wear a collar all the time, but it was my old cat's collar, so it's more sentimental than anything else.
Had a coworker always trying to get the bell off of it though, that was odd.

If a kid is on a leash, especially one of the cute backpack ones that they can put stuff in, it's not so bad I guess.
Though more adults should be on leashes....

[chainedbarista]

Though more adults should be on leashes...

and wear muzzles at the same time.

a little s and m for you, m'dear?