GA - Man Swats Boy For Grabbing His Kitty

[lonetraveler]

FWIW, a swat on a child's behind isn't hitting. The swat causes the child to be a bit shocked and maybe a bit embarrassed but isn't harmful. We are not talking about physical abuse here. This is most likely the only discipline this child has ever received and I hope he remembers it the next time someone tells him the word, NO!

 

[AnaTeresa]

I disagree with him being arrested. And if it were me on the jury I would vote "not guilty."

<modsnip>. You have to objectively look at the facts and the law. There's no "children deserve to be spanked" exception to the law. It is against the law to hit another person, unless in self defense or defense of others. Unless the man can prove the cat was in actual danger, he had no right to touch the child.

More importantly, this is not the type of case that would ever go to a jury to begin with. It the prosecutor's office even picks it up, it's going to plea. It's against the law to touch another person without consent/defense. Period.

 

[jjenny]

<modsnip> you don't get to vote not guilty because of how you "feel" about a situation. You have to objectively look at the facts and the law. There's no "children deserve to be spanked" exception to the law. It is against the law to hit another person, unless in self defense or defense of others. Unless the man can prove the cat was in actual danger, he had no right to touch the child.

More importantly, this is not the type of case that would ever go to a jury to begin with. It the prosecutor's office even picks it up, it's going to plea. It's against the law to touch another person without consent/defense. Period.

<modsnip> Have you ever heard of jury nullification? As to regarding a "plea" both parties have to agree with a deal. It's not just up to a prosecutor.

 

[Filly]

FWIW, a swat on a child's behind isn't hitting.

My siblings and I like to call it "a beating" just to get my mom out of sorts. As in "Yeah? We did something like that we got beat". It always reminds me when people say "All we needed was the look". Well at some point you got your tail whooped thus "the look" meant it was coming again if you didn't behave.

Also a child that age should have already been taught to respect animals. We knew and then our kids knew to never disturb an animal.

FWIW I did read the man's FB page. He himself had just been hospitalized with a painful condition. It is not an excuse, but possibly a reason? What if he himself had just had surgery and the child ran and bumped into him?

 

[Sonya610]

Hey, if it works for dogs, guess it will work on kids too!
I'm thinking about trying that on my 5 almost 6 year old twin boys. I'll let you know how it works. :biggrin:

Oh yeah it will work on kids. Remember it is all about the sudden "shock and awe". Your kids will subconsciously remember it even when they are 16 years old and think "we don't want to push her TOO far....!".

 

[epiphany]

RB is a 42 year old adult. His recuperating cat was in a cage or carrier.

As we teach our children:

To RB:

-Use your words.

-Keep your hands to yourself-the child is 4 years old.

-Because you are an adult, and even if the mother did nothing to discipline the child-you had no right to lay your hands on that child over this incident.

-You are the adult, not a child.

-You had other choices.

http://www.ajc.com/news/north-fulton/man-charged-with-battery-1429600.html

The mother told an officer that &#8220;she was having trouble controlling her son,&#8221; the police report said.

Trouble began when the boy reached for a cat in a carrier.

 

[nao]

They will remove a child from a plane if the parents cannot calm their child and thats just for the noise. If you take your child the Drs office i don't think it would be ok for the child to be tugging at crutchs. The vets office is a place of bussiness it should be a controlled enviroment, the staff or mother were the ones who allowed the situation to get out of control, the man was just protecting his property.

I would not of swatted the child but i would of grabbed him/her and kept them out of reach of my animal, i've had to do that when i was rehabbing GSD dogs or just my regular friendly dogs. The parents may not like it, but the option is their child learns by getting bit, (my GSD rehabs were always muzzled) I don't see how i could be faulted for protecting their child. MOO

 

[epiphany]

Two clinic employees said they witnessed the man strike the child on his rear when the boy tried to play with the cat, according to the incident report.

http://www.ajc.com/news/north-fulton/man-charged-with-battery-1429600.html

 

[jjenny]

Two clinic employees said they witnessed the man strike the child on his rear when the boy tried to play with the cat, according to the incident report.

http://www.ajc.com/news/north-fulton/man-charged-with-battery-1429600.html

We've been discussing this all alone. By the way, cat who is just out of surgery is not interested in playing. And my cat gets really mean after anesthesia. So maybe if it was me I'd just let the kid to "play" with the cat. Would that be better?

 

[epiphany]

If I understand correctly, according to two clinic employees, the 4 yo was not behaving in a deliberately cruel manner towards RB's pet.

No reason to swat, strike, gently spank or even lightly pat a stranger's 4 yo under these circumstances.
RB's the adult here. No matter what Mom did nor did not do. No laying of hands on the stranger's child should have occurred. MOO

 

[epiphany]

They will remove a child from a plane if the parents cannot calm their child and thats just for the noise. If you take your child the Drs office i don't think it would be ok for the child to be tugging at crutchs. The vets office is a place of bussiness it should be a controlled enviroment, the staff or mother were the ones who allowed the situation to get out of control, the man was just protecting his property.

I would not of swatted the child but i would of grabbed him/her and kept them out of reach of my animal, i've had to do that when i was rehabbing GSD dogs or just my regular friendly dogs. The parents may not like it, but the option is their child learns by getting bit, (my GSD rehabs were always muzzled) I don't see how i could be faulted for protecting their child. MOO

Respectfully BBM.

I agree-disruptive or children who cannot be controlled should be removed from planes. Especially in these times. And I believe fellow passengers do not have the right to spank nor lay a hand on these disruptive or noisy children. In such cases, I imagine they would be removed from the plane as well.

IMO, a 42 yo adult does not get to control a stranger's 4 yo by his/her laying hands on said child.

 

[Luckyswife]

If I understand correctly, according to two clinic employees, the 4 yo was not behaving in a deliberately cruel manner towards RB's pet.

No reason to swat, strike, gently spank or even lightly pat a stranger's 4 yo under these circumstances.
RB's the adult here. No matter what Mom did nor did not do. No laying of hands on the stranger's child should have occurred. MOO

He told the child to stop trying to grab at the cat several times. Neither the child nor the mother respected the owners wishes. It doesn't matter (to me anyway) why the child was grabbing for the cat, to play or poke or whatever. This guy only swatted him after he tried pulling the cat carrier off the chair AFTER telling him to leave the cat alone.

 

[epiphany]

We've been discussing this all alone. By the way, cat who is just out of surgery is not interested in playing. And my cat gets really mean after anesthesia. So maybe if it was me I'd just let the kid to "play" with the cat. Would that be better?

Respectfully BBM.

I have a cat and I have raised children. IMO, No. I don't allow others' children to play with my recuperating pet. But, if my concern is my pet, I lift the cage/carrier and then, involve the clinic employees. But, I don't lay a finger on someone's child under these circumstances. Particularly, a stranger's 4 yo.

 

[Sonya610]

RB's the adult here. No matter what Mom did nor did not do. No laying of hands on the stranger's child should have occurred. MOO

All three (mom, kid, RB) are at fault here. No one was hurt. Minor incident that should teach ALL CONCERNED about polite behavior.

Polite doesn't exist anymore, personal responsibility doesn't exist, it is all about calling 911.

 

[nao]

Im trying to say he should not of been put in the position of feeling the need to protect the cat. From the articles it says he did give a verbal warning. The situation was not dealt with appropriatly by the staff, mother or man.
The woman demanded he be arrested that what irritates me. Poor guy probably had to pay another nights kennelling fee. The guy was just there to pick up his cat, he's not randomly swatting kids, just protecting his pet which he obviously cares for. moo

 

[epiphany]

He told the child to stop trying to grab at the cat several times. Neither the child nor the mother respected the owners wishes. It doesn't matter (to me anyway) why the child was grabbing for the cat, to play or poke or whatever. This guy only swatted him after he tried pulling the cat carrier off the chair AFTER telling him to leave the cat alone.

I hear you, but I still say---no hands. Adult v stranger's 4 yo. Like many of us teach our children: no hands unless it's in self-defense.

 

[Lovejac]

Two clinic employees said they witnessed the man strike the child on his rear when the boy tried to play with the cat, according to the incident report.

http://www.ajc.com/news/north-fulton/man-charged-with-battery-1429600.html

So AJC thinks it news that 2 clinic employees witnessed the man swat the naughty boy on the bum? :waitasec:

Well, duh! Ummm, that's why this man was arrested.

Anyhoo, I wish an employee had tried to diffuse this situation. But then again, I wish the mom had tried to diffuse the situation.

 

[Sonya610]

I hear you, but I still say---no hands. Adult v stranger's 4 yo. Like many of us teach our children: no hands unless it's in self-defense.

Yeah that is easy to say....until someone is threatening/annoying a vulnerable loved one.

So are you saying if some guy came up to your infant and started trying to "play" with your baby in a grocery store...distressing the baby....and you told them to STOP...more than once...and they didn't stop...and they were up close and trying to touch the baby....

Are you saying you would abide by the "no hands" policy???

(I will again point out I would never have thought of swatting the kid as I do not want to touch/discipline kids, I would have gotten harsh and verbally threatening and quite possibly provoked a physical altercation with the mother if she didn't control her child asap).

 

[epiphany]

All three (mom, kid, RB) are at fault here. No one was hurt. Minor incident that should teach ALL CONCERNED about polite behavior.

Polite doesn't exist anymore, personal responsibility doesn't exist, it is all about calling 911.

Respectfully BBM. All too often true these days. And I'm the first to scream/rant about the lack of manners, frivolous lawsuits, etc.

However, no laying of hands on another individual's child unless threat to one's life or another's life or pet's life.

 

[epiphany]

Yeah that is easy to say....until someone is threatening/annoying a vulnerable loved one.

So are you saying if some guy came up to your infant and started trying to "play" with your baby in a grocery store...and you told them to STOP...more than once...and they didn't stop...

Are you saying you would abide by the "no hands" policy???

(I will again point out I would never have thought of swatting the kid as I do not want to touch nor discipline kids, I would have gotten harsh and verbally threatening and quite possibly provoked a physical altercation with the mother if she didn't control her child asap).

Respectfully BBM.

No, not if an adult lay a hand on my child: Hell, No. I would go at them if I felt my children were in danger.

But...Yes, when other children in the sandbox, etc. swatted my children. Yes. No hands-by me on the other child. No way. And if my toddler, child struck back-I would verbally correct them (my child). No hands. Use your words. Call an adult, etc.