Slashdot Mirror
Mother Calls 911 to Stop Son Playing Video Game
Angela Mejia had to call the police on her 14-year-old son to get him to stop playing Grand Theft Auto. Police managed to convince the teen that 2:30 am was too late, and there would be plenty of hookers to beat in the morning. Mrs. Mejia said, “Sometimes I want to run away, too. I have support from my church, but I’m alone. I want to help my son, but I can’t find a way.” I guess it is illegal to throw away game consoles in the land of parental irresponsibility where the Meijias live.
I'm not sure why all the anti-violence posts are modded down, but here's another one.
As someone who has their own child and has been a foster carer for children who are much more challenging than anything most of you could imagine, I can say that I have never hit a child. NEVER. Hitting a child or even shouting at a child is a sign to that child that you have lost control. In the short term you may instill fear, but eventually that will be overcome and your problems are multiplied. There are many many many non-violent way to influence a childs behaviour.
In the UK hitting your child is assault. You can use 'reasonable chastisement' as a defense against that assault, and the police may choose not to persue the assault or the judge/jury may acquit you on that basis, but that doesn't mean it isn't assault to strike a child. I expect this will change in the next decade. There is never a reasonable form of assault.
My child is very well behaved. He has very solid boundaries and when he crosses them there are consequences to reassert those boundaries. I have never hit him and I never will. The boundaries are enforced by mutual respect and trust, rather than fear that he will receive some form of abuse because I don't have the basic parenting skills required.