Woman handles child roughly during TikTok Live, sparks debate over whether it constitutes abuse
A woman’s rough handling of a child during a TikTok Live session has sparked a heated debate over whether her actions amounted to abuse.
Three screen recordings from the livestream were posted on the Complaint Singapore Facebook group by an anonymous user, describing the woman as a helper.
“I hope to reach out to the parents of this little girl,” the accompanying caption read.
The user also accused the woman of “abusing” the child and said they had lodged a police report. The post also included TikTok links that apparently led to the woman’s accounts.
Woman seen roughly patting, kicking girl while trying to put her to sleep
In one video, the woman is seen lying on a bed with the girl, holding her with one arm while repeatedly patting her back, with each pat audible in the video.
She then tells the child in Mandarin to go to sleep before saying: “If you don’t sleep, I scold you.”
The child responds in Mandarin, saying “don’t want”, while shaking her head.
As the child continues to resist, the woman lays her flat on the bed before placing a pacifier in her mouth and giving her a soft toy to hug.
However, the girl rolls away, prompting the woman to audibly slap her on the leg.
In the second video, the child can be heard saying something indistinct before the woman lightly slaps her on the mouth and tells her to go to sleep.
The third clip shows the woman using her leg to strike the girl around her lower back and legs.
She then pulls the girl back and lays her flat on the bed again in another attempt to get her to sleep. The child can be heard whining as the woman tells her to close her eyes.
Stomp has reached out to the woman for more information.
In response to Stomp’s queries, the police confirmed that a report had been lodged and that they are looking into the matter.
Netizens debate whether it’s ‘abuse’
The Facebook post has attracted more than 280 comments, with netizens divided over whether the woman’s actions amounted to “abuse”.
One user described the woman as “scary”, while another called it “child abuse”, referencing the slaps and strikes on the toddler.
“This is obviously rough handling, and the helper is obviously frustrated with the kid for not taking her nap,” a comment read, adding that the woman’s actions were “inappropriate”.
On the other hand, some disagreed that the woman was “abusing” the child, with one netizen suggesting that she was merely “playing” with her.
A commenter described it a “cute aggression” and “tough love”.
“She’s simply trying to put the baby to sleep,” a user said.
Others, however, expressed concern that the woman was broadcasting the session on TikTok Live, exposing the child’s face to viewers.
“What is not acceptable is the helper on TikTok Live with employer’s child,” one wrote.
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