by crazy on August 6th, 2007

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My neighbor beat his son with a curtain rod for spilling milk on the floor, even though the poor kid apologized to him immediately and agreed to clean the mess. Was it right of my neighbor to do that?

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by judgebill on August 6th, 2007
Of course not. And, if you were a therapist and the son were your patient, you would be required to report the incident to the authorities. That's called child abuse.
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by KevinW42 on August 6th, 2007
Well as the old saying goes, "Don't cry over spilled milk."

If your neighbor made a single visible mark on his son from that, it's legally child abuse.
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by jtolb65 on August 8th, 2007
Hell no. Mistakes are exactly that...mistakes. Now if he was looking at his dad, with his middle finger extended towards him while he was PURPOSELY spilling the milk on the floor, I could understand a more direct reaction.

Call CPS. Don't let this kid go through life being beaten because his father has low self-esteem.
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- That is quite true mistakes are made, by (all) parents included.
  If this was a one time deal and not repeatedly maybe the parent feels bad enough? Don't get me wrong I am against any form of abuse physically,sexually,emotionally or even mantally. Yet I've lived that life in foster care some ok mostly bad. See the news about child protective agencies and the sh** the children go through is far worse at times. So then what do you do ? then what if you make that mistake call and the child goes through far more abuse imaginable? It is tough choices we all need to weigh out the consequences and or the aftermath?
  
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  by shanzzy on January 10th, 2008
- That is an incredibly good point. As someone who has never experienced a life like yours, my "magic elixir" is to call CPS...and then everything is great. How mistaken and short-sighted I was. Forgive me.
  
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  by jtolb65 on January 10th, 2008
- Shanzzy is 100% correct, calling "the state" is not a long-term solution. Foster care is hell with a capital H.
  
  Although most folks do not wish to become involved in the affairs of others (other than anonymously calling the police) Maybe the best course is to attempt to befriend the family, and educate the dad. maybe he can be talked into beating his son with a pillow instead of a curtin rod.
  
  Just a thought
  
  Just a suggestion
  
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  by Skruff on February 21st, 2009
- What if he takes that pillow and puts it over the kid's face? Definately not better. Maybe suggest anger management counseling. Hitting with anything is wrong and sends a very bad message to children. Because for a parent who can hit a child with a curtain rod that pillow will not 'get his point across in a satisfactory way. Don't ask me how I know, now I do everything possible to be different from what I knew. Sometimes 1 visit from CSS can turn a parents view very quickly.
  
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  by laurie on December 3rd, 2009
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by Eponymous on August 6th, 2007
Obviously not. You should report them to child protective services in your state/county, immediately. The parent obviously has serious issues and if he committed a violent act like that, he could be very capable of murder in the future.
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by Soccer_Fever on August 6th, 2007
Dude, thats child abuse man. report it to the police and let them take care of everything else
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by Arisztid on August 6th, 2007
One word:

No.

You should report the father to CPS immediately. I do not know the laws but you might be legally culpable if it is found out that you know and do not report.
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by dane dane the airoplane on August 6th, 2007
No not at all. Accidents happen.
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by Stillme FBB on August 12th, 2007
Use your phone! If you know for sure this happened the way you just told it. Call child protective services. Don't wait!!! This child is being abused.
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by Jeffers on August 6th, 2007
on the surface, I'd say it's abusive behavior... it probably would be a good thing to report.
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by Anonymous on October 16th, 2008
SERIOUSLY CALL CPS. Everybody knows this is abuse. However, if you know about it and do nothing about it, you are just as guilty as the abuser.
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by barney loves his colts on January 22nd, 2008
i would have beat the neighbor with the curtain rod!!!
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by Anonymous on August 13th, 2007
NO - It is NOT right.
NO - It is NOT excusable.
NO - It is NOT acceptable.

YES - this IS abuse.
YES - this HAS happened before.
YES - It WILL happen again ... and again ... and again.

PLEASE - report your concerns for this child to the the appropriate authorities.

Too late to wonder if it's wrong or if it's abuse or if you could or should have helped that child. Too late when that child ends up beyond help.
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by I love my baby on August 12th, 2007
Was it right for your neighbor to do this? Would you want someone hitting you with a curtain rod over spilled milk? No! It is not right, This is by the saddest question I have ever seen on AB. Did you see it? Did you do anything about it? How old is this kid? hopefully old enough to hit the piece of sh*t so called father in the head with a skillet. If he is too little to defend hiself, YOU need to do something about it, Please report him, The child needs to be safe.
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by Takei-Shihan on August 8th, 2007
While discipline is very important in raising children, beating them for accidents is not only a bad way to motivate and teach, it is an illegal form of assault with a weapon, in this case it is child abuse.

... very wrong to beat the kid ...
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by Sin Binned on August 6th, 2007
Child abuse, report him, if nothing happens and he does it again call me so that I can beat him up with a curtain rod, you simply just don’t do that to a child, this man should be taught a lesson old school style, someone his size should pick on him so that he can feel what it feels like to be beaten up. I hate people like that; normally the police will turn a blind eye if you as neighbour accidentally slipped in bitch slapped him in the process...
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by Da Azian Boi on August 6th, 2007
No, that is child abuse which is very wrong.
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by alfugazi on October 16th, 2008
That neighbor is an abusive a--hole. Im glad that that neighbor wasnt mine because I'd go over there and beat the sh-t out of him. Violence is never warranted in any situation. That guy is not a good parent. It sickens me to think that scumb-gs like that are present in this world. I grew up in a similar household. I am not bitter because I learned to let alot of that go. I once had my jaw broken all because I didnt walk the dog down a certain street. That was well over 23-24 years ago but still, I have emotional scars that will always be there.

Fathers like that always end up alone in the end. No one wants to be around abusive a--holes. They die lonley death. Sad really. But hey, they brought it on all themselves.
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by ThatGuy on August 21st, 2007
Call the non emergency 911 to came and investigate and question each of them and if it is abuse the child can decide keep the dad or take him away!
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by L Anon has a Blank spot in her heart on August 21st, 2007
It sounds like you were an eye-witness and this was a younger child.. in which case you need to report this immediately to your public child services.

When I was older (somewhere in my teens) my mom whacked me twice on the booty with a wooden hanger and only stopped at twice because the hanger broke. I do not remember why but I do not think it was right, no matter what I did. Not wrong enough to call the police.. so I can see why you are asking, but like I said, I was older and this wasn't a regular occurrence.

At the very least your neighbor needs to see someone about anger management! Don't let this child grow up feeling powerless.
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by Blank Savage on August 21st, 2007
It is never alright to beat anyone for any reason. Too bad that those that abuse can't feel the pain and bear the scars they inflict on others.
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by International Goverment Family Relations on August 13th, 2007
NO NNO NO NO NO NO

You Are Now Requested To Report This Insedent IMEADIETLY!

You Must Do It For The Future Of The Child!

Ryan x
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by Beans23 on August 12th, 2007
If I knew the man who did this i would arrest him myself at any charges possible.
It is not on any level or way you put it okay.
He needs to be jailed and the child must be protected!
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by bababa on October 18th, 2008
absoulutely not
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by GLAM71 on October 16th, 2008
he was wrong. i dont care if the kid spilled anthrax. curtain rods are for hanging curtains, not to clobber kids with. what else does the neighbor do, behind closed doors
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by fearfulkitty on September 30th, 2008
THis is criminal child abuse. The man should be behind bars.
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by john pennington on September 24th, 2008
Now this is what you call child abuse and assault.

If you had knowledge of this, did you notify the police? if not, why not?
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by technios on July 13th, 2008
no... he will knock some sense out of the poor boy and the kid will be more likely to spill more milk in the future based on acquired brain damage along with a nervous twitch associated with carrying a glass of milk.
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by Twista on June 25th, 2008
Your neighbor is gonna end up in the worst retirement home and nobody will ever visit him.
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by Anonymous on June 25th, 2008
No your neighbour had no right to do that and if i ever hear somone doing that to a kid i will kill them and how old was the little kid cause the kid can charge him with abuse and he will have to go to court for it and might get at least 4 years max.
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by the prince on June 19th, 2008
Whats his address??
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by Vicz504 on June 4th, 2008
In the days where 'smacking' your child was acceptable and thought of as 'reasonable punishment' my parents would do thing like that to me too. And i have no contact with them now, ofcourse it is wrong!!
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by introverted extrovert on April 29th, 2008
it's possible that the kid is misbehaved often and the milk wasn't really an accident but, i myself am an advocate of capital punishement ...it builds character

still there was no reason to use a curtain rod
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by kourageous kitty on April 29th, 2008
no way is it right for any adult to do that to any child no matter what they have done. i hope you reported him. i would have
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by SAGE2 on April 25th, 2008
no, call the authorities
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by 12StringBabe on April 24th, 2008
Report this person to the police immediately. What will this Neanderthal do when his son actually does something wrong?
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by Roselynn...unregistered text offender... on April 20th, 2008
No.
You dont beat children.. its that simple.
Call someone.
You could change that childs life for the better.
~+~
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by deltabtry on April 20th, 2008
That's child abuse, call the cops it's that simple.
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by Twhupfold on February 29th, 2008
No, it was entirely illegal and was a human and children's rights violation; your neighbour deserves to be very severely punished.
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by sweetheart on February 27th, 2008
I have 4 words 4 u "Hell No Report It"
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by Nelson - Jetpacking from bed on February 17th, 2008
Not just no, but F$*# no. A person can cry over spilled milk, but no. I personally would have gone over gotten the kid out of there, gone back and introduced the guy to the glass of milk, the curtain rod, and the police. And he would have kept "tripping" on the stairs on his way out the door.
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by Kitt-tastrophy on January 22nd, 2008
Absolutely NOT! No child ever deserves to be beaten for ANY reason! And in this case he didn't even deserve a smack on the hand...it was an accident. People like that should have their right to procreate revoked!
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by Aphrodite loves Mentos on December 20th, 2007
What in the hell do you think?
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by unoriginal on December 18th, 2007
Wow.. I'm a believer of a smack on the butt but a curtain rod over spilled milk?! Not okay. Report it.
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by Anonymous on December 18th, 2007
It is abuse and I hope someone turned him in to the police.
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by Taloran on December 14th, 2007
hitting a child with a weapon is wrong regardless of what he/she has done - it is your responsibility to do what you can to keep this from happening again
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by Miss Anubis loves this season on December 9th, 2007
Dear god, no! How aweful! Poor child. :( That was overreaction on her part, litterally causing tears over spilt milk!
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by AnonymousGirl on December 9th, 2007
No. It was not right for your neighbour to do that. I'm pretty sure beating a child with a curtain rod is illegal and considered child abuse. At least where I live.
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by badhabitsx3 on December 9th, 2007
of course it wasn't.
spilt milk is NOT a big issue. this man obviously has some anger issues.
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by Soulja_pie on December 7th, 2007
nno it wasn't right!!it was just milk no big deal "mistakes/accidents will happen"
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by Big Purple Blob in a rainCOAT on October 20th, 2007
Add my voice among many, saying CALL THE PROPER AUTHORITIES!!! That poor child is being abused.

Beating with a curtain rod for whatever reason is abuse. Punishment at all for accidentally spilling milk is questionable. When either of my daughters spilled milk, all I had to do was say, "You know how to handle that," and on her own, she'd get a rag and clean it.
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