Father Accused of Shaving Daughter's Head as Punishment

What's so wrong with humiliation? The child was shoplifting. Won't it be more humiliating when she is arrested some day and put in jail?

I remember when I was in elementary school way back in the 60's, my teachers inspected our fingernails, our teeth, and behind our ears every day. Students were expected to come to school clean and presentable, and if we didn't, it was discovered in front of the whole class. To be thought of as unclean was humiliating. So, you know what we did? We came to school with our teeth, fingernails, and ears clean.

I can't tell you how many of my students have bad breath and dirty ears. Many of them already have plaque on their teeth, and these are young children! If I were to say something to them, I suppose it would be too humiliating for them to take.

The other day, one of my students came up to me to complain that a fellow student told him that his teeth were yellow. I'm sure that was quite humiliating for him, but it was true. They were not only yellow, but covered in a layer of goo. Should I scold the student who simply pointed out the truth, or counsel the student with poor personal hygiene, or both?

My point is this: if you're in the wrong, you can either be humiliated by your parent now, or be humiliated by society later.

Stealing is a serious issue. When I was a teenager, I was hanging out with the wrong crowd and went on a shoplifting spree with a friend. We were never caught by the store owners (this was before anti-theft devices), but my mother found one of the articles of clothing in my closet. She confronted me and after a feeble attempt at trying to lie my way out of it, I broke down and told her the truth. I begged her not to, but she made me return every piece to each store and apologize to every store owner and give them the opportunity to bring in the police. By the grace of God, none of them did. I was crying and humiliated, but I have never stolen another thing in my life. Good old fashioned parenting still works.

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But what happens if the boy had to take a certain medicine that breaks down enamel what happens if thats the case and im a 12 year old girl saying that being so judgemental about teeth is kind of wrong i mean i go to public school nd many people have yellow teeth but not most so they could have to take medicine so the enamel is lost and you eat still maybe its just that so dont be so judgemental next time and ask if he takes a certain kind of medicine that ruins his teeth

Nd you cant believe that he just shaved her head that is kind of like cruel i mean most likely he beat her to i thought you were supposed to commet the crime not humilation nd your personal stroies other then the topic

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You know, it kind of depends upon the child, the social life they lead, and if this happened while school was in session or over the summer break.

Humiliating a child, for any reason, is wrong. If she leads an active social life or was attending school at the time, having her head shaved could seriously affect her social standing among her peers and have negative repercussions on her psyche for years to come.

Additionally, it could destroy her relationship with her father/mother and cause her to 'act out' in even more destructive ways.

All kids make mistakes. It's part of growing up. But you shouldn't ridicule your child in front of their friends to try and make a point. It's just wrong.

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I probably wouldn't choose this type of punishment, but it might not have necessarily been wrong in this situation. It depends on the child's age and what the history of her misbehavior was. Was she warned that this would be a consequence after more conventional discipline failed? Was she in high school or primary school?

It's sad that the parents who care enough to make tough decisions when their kids misbehave are always attacked.

I don't agree that humiliating a child is always wrong. It sucks, but it's better than a lot of other possible outcomes, such as going into juvenile detention. Besides, when children are humiliating their parents left and right, sometimes they deserve a taste of their own medicine.

And I think it is ridiculous that the blogger brought French collaborators into this discussion. I am sure this father's action had nothing to do with WWII. In many cultures, they shave every child's head at a certain age - it's a rite of passage. There are lots of other reasons why a child's head might be shaved right here in the USA. Comparing it with adult public humiliation is ignorant.

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my step-daughters mom shaved her(the daughters) hair because she got head lice and I wouldn't treat her and she didn't want to take the time to do so. so she shaved my step-daughters head.

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Shaving heads has a form of punishment is common among many people from south and central America. I went to school with kids who were from central America for the most part and you knew when one of them had really screwed up becasue they came to school with a bright and shiny bald head, usually this was only if they did something that was a public offense, like shoplifting, or beating someone else's child to a pulp. One of my friend from middle school told me that if her dad shaved her head the shop keeps would know to watch her because she had the mark of a thief.

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We don't even know if the girl had done anything wrong. Adults can have just as many, if not more, wrong beliefs than children.

Shaving her head is not only humiliating, it is personally very damaging. Because she is a grl, Western culture/society attaches great importance to her hair. Without her hair, she is going to go through some very tough times.

Shame on you for thinking she deserved it.

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Why wouldn't the so called Mother treat her own daughter's hair lice? Must be an explanation....Although, shaving the hair and washing and cleaning all bedding etc.,is the best and probably the fastest way! How old is the daughter?

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How come shaving a little girls hair is jail worthy, but tattooing a little boy with a gang sign is not? I was under the impression hair grew back. And if the little girl DID steal, and was at least - lets say- 7, yup, she knew right from wrong, and shaving her head is definately a better alternative than beating her. I'll bet she will never stal again.

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Since when is shaving a lil girls head jail worthy but tattooing a lil boy with a gang sign is not? I was under the impression that hair grew back. And if the lil girl DID steal, and she was at least lets say 7, shaving her head is a better alternative to beating. I bet she will never steal again too.

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That is the sign of someone whom is not educated,and whom is a real "Toxic Parent"! Anyone who defends him,is probably just as much an abuser as he is! The girl's mother or relative,should petition for custody,and get the girl professional help,so she does not repeat her "Kleptomania"! He should as part of his probation,have to seek employment,even if has to work two or three minimum wage jobs,seven days a week even holidays,to pay the mother or relatives awarded custody,CHILD SUPPORT! The judge who awards the amount,should make it STING! What he did was uncalled for,and one day will come back to haunt him. There will be future grandkids he will not see,a future wedding and/or graduation he will not be invited to! That will serve him right!!

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I don't believe in corporal punishment, but sometimes a child must be taught a lesson in a manner that is beyond the usual restriction of privileges. Shaving a girls head is an appropriate punishment for certain bad decisions - such as stealing, smoking/drugs, etc. It demonstrates that there are consequences for bad choices in a way that a month without a cell phone/texting just can't do.

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I heard of this case, when a husband shaved his wife's head for her infidelity over a ten year period.
It led to a divorce, but if it cured her, I doubt.
Yet I believe any person cheating on his/her partner should be punished severely !
It is a betrayal of trust !!!

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