Exactly right. I fear some people have led far too sheltered lives. They do not have a realistic view of what constitutes "abuse."
You may as well sell the child to an Eastern European slave trader as call CPS. That is one sure way to ruin a family and ensure the children are actually abused and 90% more likely to become criminals themselves.
I have seen this happen to people. My niece called the CPS on her mother and told them a bunch of lies. My sister had to go through all sorts of crap to accommodate the Nazis before she got her daughter back. After that, she let the child get away with anything and everything. It ruined the child, it ruined the family, and no good came of it.
I've seen other examples of ridiculous overreach by CPS. They literally do not have a rational brain in that bunch. There was a famous case in my City where these CPS wackjobs were getting children to say all sorts of things by asking them leading questions.
Before it was over, all the officials at one of our public schools were accused of being "Satan Worshipers" who were dancing naked in the moonlight while engaging in human sacrifice. It got so bad even the prosecutors acknowledged that there was no case. All charges were dropped, and the CPS people were taken to the woodshed.
This is the same sort of stuff that occurred in the Salem Witch trials. I mean EXACTLY the same sort of stuff.
You know, I think there are two sides (duh!) to this incident.
***Exactly right. I fear some people have led far too sheltered lives. They do not have a realistic view of what constitutes “abuse.”***
I think I might be able to put some perspective on this, if you don’t mind. I was an abused child/teenager/young adult. This sort of behavior (hair pulling via cart/hand) may not always be indictative of child abuse, but it certainly can be, as well. We don’t know the whole story, true. However, I have experienced smaller forms of abuse in public than what I received in private, and I can guarantee that none of you want to hear the private stories. Nor would I tell them. I am concerned that this child may be being abused at home more harshly. This girl may get more abuse as a result of the woman speaking up, and what will happen then, is that she doesn’t say anything to anyone at all, even when she does need real help from an adult. In that regard I am concerned for her well-being.
Do I want for her family to be separated? No, not unless that will help them get real help in the long run, If this one incident will be enough to get Dad to examine his ways, then maybe this intrusion by the woman will be helpful. The thing is, how do we know?
I also understand that children can and do act up in public places. Some of them lie and exaggerate, like your niece. It is a very challenging fine line.
Like fake rape allegations, fake allegations of child abuse hurt the kids who really do need someone to step in.