Video: Public Humiliation Continues As The New Trend In Punishment

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by Stacie Bailey | on August 29th, 2012 | 2 comments

“Smoked pot, got caught. Don’t I look cool? Not!” is the message around Brandon Mathison’s neck as he walked back and forth next to a busy intersection. The back of the sign read, “Learn from me, don’t do drugs.”

After being caught smoking marijuana with his friends this past weekend, Brandon’s mother, who says she never imagined her 13-year-old son being in such a situation, believed this was the best punishment.

“Timeout and taking things away from them just don’t seem to work anymore,” she said. “Sometimes, a little public humility is what they need nowadays to get a point across and if this works for him and maybe saves one or two other students from picking this stuff up, then I feel like I’ve done my job as a parent.”

Though this concept isn’t new as we recall several similar earlier instances of public humiliation as a means of punishment, Brandon’s mother is targeting an issue that HLN reports is affecting 17% of U.S. high school students: drinking, smoking and drug use during the school day.

“We, as parents, have to step it up; we have to protect our children and if this is what it takes, it’s what I’m going to do,” Mathison said.

BMWK, do you feel public humiliation should be a last resort or considered at all? What could these parents have done differently? Would you punish your child in public?

About the author

Stacie Bailey is a recent graduate of Quinnipiac University with a master’s degree in Interactive Communications. She has strong interests in relationships, health, social media and an overall love for sharing knowledge and information.

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Comments (2)

Niambi Thursday - 30 / 08 / 2012 Reply

I don't think public humiliation is appropriate at any time. My mother has always taught us to be discreet and she would take us in the back room and talk to us or spank us but not before our friends and people in public. My Pastor has also always taught that the enemy exposes but as a Christian love covers a multitude of sins. We need to show more love and understanding because the things that children are going through today is very hard to deal with. Before punishing your child try to understand the root of why they did what they did. In the case of the young man here, he may have smoked marijuana due to peer pressure. So then as a parent you speak to him about peer pressure so he knows that he doesn't have to do something just to get people to like him or to feel cool.
- Stacie Bailey Tuesday - 04 / 09 / 2012 Reply
  
  I completely agree! I think that publicly humiliating the child only hurts their self-esteem even further. Like the young boy whose uncle spanked him and posted the video of it online after his nephew boasted about being gang affiliated on Facebook. The young man was killed some months after and I believe it had to do with 1) his being known in such a viral video and 2) him being around the wrong people trying to redeemed himself after being embarrassed by his uncle's video. Punishment and discussions should be a personal matter as you stated. Thanks for reading/commenting :)