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It was like a modern day scarlet lettering.
Florida parents have split the always-vocal critics of social media after making their son stand by the road while holding a sign identifying him as a “bully.”
A clip of the seeming medieval-inspired punishment currently boasts 4.9 million views and more than 1 million responses on TikTok.
The now-viral video — first posted last week by TikTok user @usert0c8co0flo — shows a young boy standing by the side of a busy road while holding a sign that reads “I am a bully. Honk if you hate bullies.”
Meanwhile, a man and a woman — presumably the boy’s parents — can be seen sitting nonchalantly in lounge chairs, seemingly supervising the child’s public shaming.
In the background, the aghast videographers can be heard ripping the heavy-handed punishment with cries of “boo parents” and “that’s so foul.”
Although it’s still unclear if the scene was an actual punishment or simply a stunt for social media, many online gawkers agreed that the measure was a tad tactless. One TikTok critic pointed out: “Discipline is okay. Public discipline is not going to teach them anything.”
Another chimed in, “Publicly embarrassing your child isnt the way to fix the problem. His parents probably bully him at home so he goes and bullies someone weaker.”
One detractor quipped, “Parents will literally do anything besides take their kids to therapy lmfao.”
However, many commenters lauded the unconventional brand of “street justice.”
“If you disagree with this as a form of punishment, you’re soft lmao,” scoffed one comment section disciplinarian. “Kid needs to learn his lesson.”
Another wrote, “That’s parenting. Discipline, embarrassment to make them never do it again. That def ain’t mean.”
Although one astute viewer mentioned that the only fault with the punishment was that they “didn’t see anyone honking.”
This isn’t the first time someone has been publicly shamed for their crime. In June, a woman paid penance for her thieving feline by erecting a sign outing her cat as a burglar, and putting up a clothesline with all the items it stole.
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