Photo: TikTok
This is definitely a controversial punishment.
By Alice Kelly — Written on Dec 23, 2021
If you discovered your child had been bullying a classmate there are a variety of things you could do.
Ask them to apologize, explain the harmful effects of bullying, maybe even take away their phone for a week.
But one family had a more unconventional approach to teaching their son not to bully and it is getting mixed reactions online.
A young boy appears to have been forced to stand on the side of the street for a dose of public-shaming while his parents watch from the sidelines.
A viral TikTok video shows a young boy holding a ‘honk if you hate bullies’ sign.
TikTok user Gavin Klein (@usert0c8co0flo) uploaded a video he captured while sitting in traffic in Florida.
The boy looked sullen while holding a handmade sign that reads, “I am a bully. Honk if you hate bullies.”
Two adult are watching from nearby camp chairs as cars drive by the child. The mom appears to be holding a younger child while the dad holds on to the leash of the family dog.
The parents look utterly unbothered, glancing over at the child while he appears to be using the neon sign to partially cover his face.
Klein was the first to criticize the parents as he labels the punishment “foul” while recording the viral clip. But not everyone agrees.
TikTok comments had divided opinions on the punishment.
Many labeled those who criticized the parents as “soft” and claimed the kid deserved to be embarrassed in order to teach him a lesson.
“That's parenting,” wrote one user, “Discipline, embarrassment to make them never do it again.”
“You think the kid that got bullied isn’t embarrassed everyday at school. He got a taste of his own medicine,” said another.
Several also pointed out that kids can have their lives ruined by bullying so this punishment is minor in comparison to the pain the child may have caused.
“‘Too hard of a punishment’ people loose there [sic] life due to bullying, it's more like the parents aren't doing enough,” said another supporter.
Of course, it should be noted that we have no idea what prompted the parents to issue this punishment nor do we know the details about what the child may or may not have done.
Some wondered if harsh parenting had pushed the child to bully others.
“Publicly embarrassing your child isn't the way to fix the problem,” wrote one critic, “His parents probably bully him at home so he goes and bullies someone weaker.”
The public nature of the punishment was another cause for concern for many people. They questioned if the punishment would only push the child to resent his parents, act out more or stop him from communicating problems with them.
“Discipline is okay. Public discipline is not going to teach them anything,” said one user.
“Negative reinforcement is the least effective way of raising kids, punishment makes kids just not wanna get caught, not stop doing it,” wrote another.
The video, which has been viewed almost 5 million times, and the comments will certainly leave parents wondering if they’re doing too little or too much when it comes to preventing their child from bullying.
Alice Kelly is a senior news and entertainment editor for YourTango. Based out of Brooklyn, New York, her work covers all things social justice, pop culture, and human interest. Keep up with her Twitter for more.