I'm actually a lawyer who specializes in cases of child abuse and I agree with many of the views already expressed that this kind of behaviour (especially where the parents couldn't even control themselves in a large department store) is usually the tip of the iceberg. Alongside the physical hurt there is the more intangible but equally damaging emotional harm that comes with assaults.
I'm interested to read all your different views because it's made me realize that many people want to take action in these situations but may be unsure how best to do it. It's something I intend to look into once I'm back at work since I deal with social services often. They get anonymous referrals all the time but that's usually from neighbours. I'm not sure how they would deal with a situation like this.
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