Verbal/emotional abuse?

[nemosmum]

Hey guys

I have just had an incident outside my apartment building and dont know what if anything I should/can do about it.

I heard a mother yelling at a child at the entrance to our building (as we live on the ground floor and our lounge room is directly near the entry we hear everything)

Anyway this mother was screaming in an asian language so I had no idea what she was saying. I heard a small voice crying and then she also replied in another lang. etc

Well this went on for a good 10-15 mins finally I couldnt stand it any more and walked out onto my balcony, the mother must have heard me as she stopped yelling for a sec.

Then she started up again, so I hung my head over my balcony and the mother said something to the little girl (she looked about 6 or 7) and then went inside leaving the little girl standing on the door step of the building crying.

I heard the mum go up stairs and shut her door.

The little girl was crying so I asked her if she was ok (I know dumb Q.:o ) she said "its ok":crying: in between sobs. Poor little thing I feel really bad for her.

When we first moved in 3 years ago there was another couple who left there 3 year old outside the building when he was misbehaving the first time I brought him inside the second time I called docs as the poor little boy was a mess!

Oh Ok I just heard the mother go down stairs and call the little girl inside.

Its so hard not knowing what the mother is saying (as she could very well be saying "come inside " but the little girl may be the one saying "NO" iykwim as I often have to chase my little man to get him to come inside LOL somtimes he wants to hang out in the garden outside etc.

What would you do?

Is this any of my bussiness? probably not but I just feel bad for this poor
little girl:(

[Ana Gram]

It's a bit hard to know what is really going on if you do't know what was said.

[nemosmum]

Exactly.

But its also very hard to ignore when its right outside my door iykwim.

One thing I do know is that the mother was the one screaming for 15 mins while the child cried. Which to me says alot.

But like I said before she could have been telling her to come inside and the little girl was the one chucking a tantie or something:confused:

Who knows......

[poshBecks]

Well, it probably isn't any of your business. If you knew for sure it was abuse then yes I would do something. Otherwise let it be. :o

[nemosmum]

hmm there my thoughts too Becca Rae I dont want to be a nosey neighbour etc

But its so hard to just tune out when its happening right outside my door and I feel really bad for the little girl:(

Like I said it proberly is none of my business so I will just let it be.

Thanks girls for your replies I needed to tell someone as no ones at home:o

[Ana Gram]

Our neighbour screams at her kids all the time in another language, however the kids scream back at her in english!

[Jem]

Well, it probably isn't any of your business. If you knew for sure it was abuse then yes I would do something. Otherwise let it be. :o

i agree :)

[WeThree]

oh princes N, that was lovely :)
it is hard when you over hear something, and wish you could say something but feel like you cant, a few wks ago i was on the train and this very respectable family with 2 girls about 11 and 9 got on and sat next to me, the girls got into a little tiff and the older one snapped the younger ones beaded necklace. Well for the rest of the trip the mother who minutes before had smiled at me pleasantly and engaged in small talk, launched into an abusive tirade in a mixture of english and another language that lasted the remainder of the trip, she wasnt yelling , but went on and on about what a b**ch the oldest one was, how nasty she was, how horrible she was, it just went on and on and on!! i felt so sorry for the little girl and in the end sat there giving the mother death glares which she was completly oblivious to. The father noticed and tried to get her to quit but she just wouldnt! I have never heard another person totally obliterate another persons personality like she did to that gorgeous, normal little girl. i mean yes what she did was naughty, but it certainly didnt warrant that, i thought it was really sad. :(

[Jem]

just by reading this, you can sort of sit back and aknowledge all the times things like this actually happen iykwim.... really what are the statistics???
Child abuse.. in every shape and form IS out there... some ppl just hide it very well and others dont :o

[nemosmum]

Princess N- that was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes:crying:

Thank you for all your posts:)