We always took our kids to the restroom when they needed a little attitude adjustment in public. Once or twice and the only correction needed was to discretely ask them if they needed to “go to the restroom.”
I did that too, or back to the vehicle depending on where we were...but now there are so many “experts” on child abuse and the consequences are truly scary if you end up on the wrong side of the system.
One day one of my daughters threw a screaming tantrum fit in the doorway lobby of a major store. I was trying to “talk” to her in her ear about the consequences of such behavior- what amazed me was the onlookers- half thought I should be busting her butt already and half seemed to think she was an abused child. Only public tantrum any of my kids ever had- thank goodness.