The poor woman probably wasn’t thinking straight, but she should have immediately called the police.
Would calling the police really have helped? Unless they were already in the store close by.
I think it’s better to explain to the boy that some people are bad guys and behave badly, while consoling him for the experience – and move on.
I see a lot of synthetic outrage in the mommyblogger communities. I try to measure progress in terms of how quickly we can adapt to the problem, solve it, and move on – rather than how much we can amplify our collective outrage over it. What does that accomplish?
Look, what the guy did is assault, pure and simple - not because it was a kid, but because he physically laid his hand on him. It’s also child abuse. If he had just called the kid a name, I might be more inclined to agree with you, but the fact that he physically hit the kid is stepping over a major line. I assume that Wal-Mart has surveillance camera - no reason police can’t make use of them, unless the store was obstructing them in some way. Most chain big box stores even had cameras in the parking lot, too.
I understand what you mean about synthetic rage - the internet in general can act as an echo chamber with nothing getting done. I’d much prefer that this creep be arrested and sent to trial… what the guy did was illegal, the solution is to call the cops. I’d much rather she had done that then to have posted a story about it, in fact.
Thanks for fixing the URL, btw. I’ll figure out how to use this system sooner or later!
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See, that to me is already an amplification:
He then cuffed Dexter around the side of his head (not hard, but that is not the point) and said with a big laugh, “You’ll thank me later, little man!”
I don’t think the intent of harming the child was there, it sounds like a casual (but grotesquely awkward, granted) physical interaction, like a light tap on the back to let someone know they are in your way.
Anyway, no question this guy was an idiot with no social graces, who was rude. But just ignore him and move on, that’s the best strategy. Screechy “I done been wronged” echo chambers help no one.
I don’t know. As a parent that is stepping over the line, or it seems so to me. It’s one thing if I’m at a function with other parents I know and trust, and they do something like that - but some stranger even touching my kid in a public place without my permission is I think stepping over the line. That’s just me though. I think she had a reason to escalate. Maybe I am amplifying a bit. Plus he did call the kid a name.
I don’t know… maybe I’m just a bit of a helicopter parent?
If this kid was an adult, it would be–legally speaking–a clear case of assault and battery along with something something threats (IANAL). The fact that he is a kid is the only reason we’re having an argument over whether or not it is a matter for the police.
And, assuming this happened relatively recently, I think it’s still something worth bringing up to the police. I don’t think we as a society really want adults going around treating kids this way.
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Ignore him and move on?
Some people ARE just bad. I’m not thinking of the perp, rather the people who cover for him.
There is some speculation that this story is fabricated:
http://getoffmyinternets.net/a-mother-thing-doesnt-plan-to-do-a-thing/
Related forum topic with additional details:
http://getoffmyinternets.net/forums/mommy-bloggers/a-mother-thing-true-story-or-bullshit/
Cover your eyes though @AcerPlatanoides, that forum isn’t threaded! 
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I think if the story turns out to be bunk, and this woman is just trying to rack up page hits, that’s a different story.
The fix is deployed so URLs with mixed _ and - should onebox properly now.
This guy needs to go to jail for a day after being charged with assault, and that’s about the size of it.
