There is widespread outrage among parents regarding the punishment a mother has imposed on her young son, forcing him to wear a sign in public that labels him a thief.
The sign he wore around his neck read, ‘Do not trust me. I will steal from you as I am a thief,’ while he stood in a park located in Townsville, Queensland.
The boy, reportedly around 10 years old, stood with his head bowed in embarrassment as his family sat nearby for lunch.
His humiliation continued… he was also spotted wearing Shrek ears and writing lines that were believed to repeatedly state his promise not to steal.
Although his family may have considered the public shaming a suitable punishment, parents who witnessed the scene were outraged.
Diane Mayers, one observer, noted that she was so ‘horrified’ she reached out to local child safety services. According to her, ‘The boy just kept his head down and was staring at the ground. A lot of people walked by and laughed at him.’
The punishment also drew criticism from child psychologist Nicole Pierotti, a mother herself, who expressed her shock over such treatment being administered.
‘Humiliation is not the best approach to discipline a child,’ she stated. ‘This only teaches the child to be sneakier. He learns the lesson of “don’t get caught.” It raises questions about their home life. Parents should be the ones children trust.’
Miss Pierotti suggested that if the child had stolen from a shop, a more appropriate action would have been to return to the store and own up to his actions.
‘That would have been far more constructive than humiliating him publicly,’ she said.
However, the result of this incident seems to have empowered the thief… crime prevails once more. While the specifics of what the boy stole remain unknown, it’s likely he won’t repeat the behavior—although he might have if it weren’t for the interference of child safety services. They should focus on saving children who are genuinely in hazardous situations, such as those facing sexual and physical abuse.
My only response is to commend the mother for trying to steer her child toward understanding right from wrong.
The real issue today is that ‘do-gooders’ and ‘yoghurt knitters’ end up giving rights to murderers and rapists, allowing them to repeat their crimes without consequence.
Had this ‘progressive’ mother been permitted to discipline her child, she might have successfully prevented another crime from occurring.
by Sel Hurst
