These sort of questions really make it obvious what different universes people live in, depending on their past experience.
I would almost certainly, in that situation, be with the “protectors” - my first duty is to make my child safe.
But assume that wasn’t the case. Assume my child has already run off and is being securely comforted by a family member. Assume that I’m furiously angry. Assume that I want to HURT this person.
In that case … well, of COURSE I wouldn’t go for physical violence. Why pick a fight in my worst stat? It wouldn’t even begin to occur to me, if I wanted to hurt someone, that hitting them (or to be more precise ME hitting them) would be an effective method of doing so.
I’m not much of a yeller either, mind you. But I think if I were sufficiently steamed I might be able to do someone damage with a tongue lashing. But I know, deep in my bones, that in a physical altercation between me and Other Person, then Other Person is the one who wins. This may not actually be factually true, but it doesn’t change the fact that I know it deep in my bones.
The difference between “hit” and “don’t hit” is not necessarily in how angry you are.
I’d run over as fast as possible, probably screamingly like a lunatic with his hair on fire, and scoop up the little toddler and comfort them with breathless, panicky words of comfort that actually made him/her feel worse. Then I’d shout at the individual who struck him/her, further worrying my child. The option of fighting some stranger who thinks it’s okay to hit a four-year-old seems justified but what if that stranger has family/gang members in the same park?
Unless there’s some immediately obvious good reason for the slap like my kid was about to run in front of an oncoming car or for some bizarre reason my kid was about to stab another kid with scissors or something then the person who hit my kid is about to be in a world of hurt, man or woman makes no difference. I don’t care to go into specifics but a couple of years ago something somewhat similar did happen, not with a stranger but a family member and I basically battered them around the room like a sack of potatoes.
Hasn’t the OP started a few threads with slight variations of this same theme, what’s the preoccupation with the subject?
If my child needs beating, I’ll handle it. If an adult stranger were to hit my child? My first instinct would be violence, but I’d call the police instead. I can’t hit as hard as the judicial system can.Unless it were to prevent that other adult from continuing to hit my child, I wouldn’t strike back myself, no matter how badly I wanted to. But I’d really, really want to!
This is so true. As a parent to a soon-to-be four year old, my first to fifth reactions to this scenario is fear, not anger. Physically, I am no match for ~95% of adult non-elderly men, and well over half of adult non-elderly women. And a person who slaps a child would likely have far more practice with hitting people than I. So chances are that I will lose a fight. Since they have already shown that they are willing to hurt my kid, running away with the kid would be the far safer option.
My first and only impulse would be to neutralize the threat to my child. Quickly and violently if necessary. After that he/she can speak to the local constabulary.
If it happened to be a woman attacking my child I would get the child away, then call my wife who would come over and beat her mercilessly. She wouldn’t be as calm and careful as I would.
If I didn’t see the smack - I can’t be sure who did the smacking - charging in and attacking the individual that may, in fact, be comforting the now crying child over a smack like sound may not be the best, first approach. First step is to determine what actually happened, and then deal with it as appropriate.
If, in fact, I see the smack - regarudless of wether or not the kid “needed” it - the other person will be answering not only to me, but to law enforcement (likely from a hospital bed).
I’ve actually had something similar to this happen in real life though I was closer and saw events transpire. Suffice to say, I reacted quickly and physically.
I will carry this a step further: My daughters are 34 and 37. A strange man slapping one of them will result in a confrontation with me that could very likely result in violence.
Oddly enough, my last physical encounter (many years ago) started from a similar incident. A man was slapping his small child in a store. I intervened and told the guy to pick on someone his own size knowing full well that I would be the target. He chose…poorly.
Oh I’d probably go all mama bear on that asshole. Because slapping my child is NOT an option, especially not for a stranger. Asking them to not do something because they need to share/it’s dangerous/whatever? Yeah sure. Go for it. But slapping and then screaming at my kid? No bueno, senor.