I know there have been discussions about this before, but I just need some fresh and specific ideas.
I live in Chicago and take public transportation everyday. I feel like I regularly witness outright, undeniable child abuse on the bus and train. Parents smacking toddlers faces, yelling at their babies to "Shut the *&%$ up!" while they violently shake their strollers, parents shoving and hitting older children and telling them they are going to "beat the living #&*!" out of them when they get home.
Okay, so here's my deal. I have anxiety issues period that are usually already heightened when on crowded busses and trains (I feel trapped and overwhelmed by intense noises, smells, etc). I also have my own abuse traumas and witnessing violence of any kind makes me shut down. Also, 90% of the time, my 9 year old daughter is with me.
So, those issues withstanding, what should/can I do when I witness this? Because I know I should be doing something. Every time I witness and incident it haunts me and haunts and haunts me. I feel guilty and angry with myself for not doing anything. I feel that my complacency is contributing to the abuse of these children.
But, it starts happening, I freeze, don't know what to do, have a total internal meltdown freak out and then either my stop or their stop comes and that's the end of it. And I spend the rest of the day wondering, "Why didn't I do something? What should I have done? But, oh my god, that mother was so, so angry and she would've freaked on me and I have had dd with me... Should I have told the bus driver? Yeah, right, they would've laughed me off the bus... Should I call the police and give them a description of the person and where they got off the bus and what direction they headed? Would the police take me seriously?" And so on and so on.
This morning dd and I were riding the bus to her school. This woman had a 1.5 to 2 year old in a stroller facing away from her. The child was screaming and crying, the kind where they are gagging and retching. She'd ignore him, ignore him, ignore him and then she'd either yank the stroller really hard or hit him on the top of his head and tell him to, "Shut the *&%$ up!" Then she started holding her hand over his mouth. Oh my god, it was so awful. It was six hours ago and my stomach is still in knots. The bus was so packed and no one, including me, did a thing. The poor little one finally gave up and stopped crying.
Please don't flame me. I know I should do something, but what?
I live in Chicago and take public transportation everyday. I feel like I regularly witness outright, undeniable child abuse on the bus and train. Parents smacking toddlers faces, yelling at their babies to "Shut the *&%$ up!" while they violently shake their strollers, parents shoving and hitting older children and telling them they are going to "beat the living #&*!" out of them when they get home.
Okay, so here's my deal. I have anxiety issues period that are usually already heightened when on crowded busses and trains (I feel trapped and overwhelmed by intense noises, smells, etc). I also have my own abuse traumas and witnessing violence of any kind makes me shut down. Also, 90% of the time, my 9 year old daughter is with me.
So, those issues withstanding, what should/can I do when I witness this? Because I know I should be doing something. Every time I witness and incident it haunts me and haunts and haunts me. I feel guilty and angry with myself for not doing anything. I feel that my complacency is contributing to the abuse of these children.
But, it starts happening, I freeze, don't know what to do, have a total internal meltdown freak out and then either my stop or their stop comes and that's the end of it. And I spend the rest of the day wondering, "Why didn't I do something? What should I have done? But, oh my god, that mother was so, so angry and she would've freaked on me and I have had dd with me... Should I have told the bus driver? Yeah, right, they would've laughed me off the bus... Should I call the police and give them a description of the person and where they got off the bus and what direction they headed? Would the police take me seriously?" And so on and so on.
This morning dd and I were riding the bus to her school. This woman had a 1.5 to 2 year old in a stroller facing away from her. The child was screaming and crying, the kind where they are gagging and retching. She'd ignore him, ignore him, ignore him and then she'd either yank the stroller really hard or hit him on the top of his head and tell him to, "Shut the *&%$ up!" Then she started holding her hand over his mouth. Oh my god, it was so awful. It was six hours ago and my stomach is still in knots. The bus was so packed and no one, including me, did a thing. The poor little one finally gave up and stopped crying.
Please don't flame me. I know I should do something, but what?