Mom Asks What To Do After A 'Small Gang' Of Kids Consistently Bully Her Family At The Park — 'They Know We Can't Retaliate'
The adults feel like they can't step in since they're just kids.
Lopolo / Shutterstock Kids can be brutal, especially in the age of social media. Although some of this meanness may slip out in interactions with adults, they typically don’t target them.
One very bold group of kids decided they wanted to be the exception to the norm here.
A ‘small gang’ of tweens bullied adults at a local park.
A desperate mother posted on Reddit looking for help after her family experienced bullying at the hands of children.
“There is a small gang of kids (about 11 to 12 years old) who are bullying me, hubby, and other adults at the park behind my house,” she explained in the Parenting subreddit.
Based on the woman’s description, these kids sound like real menaces. “They openly and loudly mock us, swear at us, call us names, goad us, and throw things at us or spit at us,” she said.
Although the bullying is mostly reserved for the adults present, those who are younger are not immune to their vitriol. “They’ve been known to hit kids and teens as well,” she stated.
The problem is the adults can’t really do anything. After all, these are kids.
“They know we can’t retaliate,” the mom said. “They’ve made us aware they are ‘untouchable.’”
This family is trying to decide what to do as they face the reality of what is happening, combined with their wish to keep the park a special place for them.
“My three little ones love that park,” she said. “We’ve been there every nice weather day for the last 1.5 years. But now hubby doesn’t want to go anymore because of these hooligans.”
This mom concluded her post by sadly asking, “What do we do?”
Redditors were unified in their idea of what to do.
This mom’s fellow Reddit users came through with advice, just as she had requested. And most of them were in agreement.
“Call the [expletive] police,” one person said. “That’s what I would do. Minor or not, it’s still harassment.”
“Record them and call the cops,” someone else offered. “That’s ridiculous for you to not be able to go to a park because of them.”
A third person chimed in and said, “Throwing things, hitting kids, and spitting are all call-the-cops territory.”
Law firm Heist, Weisse and Wolk agreed. “The reason the police should be called is to clearly document the occurrence and impress upon the child and parents of the child the gravity of the child’s actions,” they said.
Most likely, no real action will be taken. However, calling the police will still send a clear message.
“In most cases, no arrest will be made, but often the police will speak to both the parents and the child and put a level of fear into both,” the law firm stated. “By calling the police, you are showing that you consider the matter important and are building a paper trail. If the matter is serious enough, the child will be arrested.”
While nothing is often done in these cases, it’s possible something could be.
It’s unlikely that a child would be arrested for bullying, but not completely unheard of. The Neil Rushkin Law Firm noted that “there can be serious legal consequences when children bully others, especially if the behavior resulted in harm.”
Furthermore, STOMP Out Bullying pointed out physical assault can be grounds for arrest. It’s very possible that police would consider the throwing, hitting, and spitting that the kids have been doing a form of physical assault.
This really is a delicate situation. These adults don’t deserve to be bullied by these children. On the other hand, if they take action to stop them, it could look like they are the aggressors.
It’s likely best to get the police involved before one side takes things too far.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.