Mother shames daughter in viral video - School offers counselling to both parties

The Rousseau Primary School is offering counselling to a mother and child who appeared in a now viral video, which shows the mother admonishing her daughter for lying about her age and engaging sexual conversations online.

"We realise that both of them need help. We have started to do that from our side. We will talk to them and give some good guidance," principal of the school, Owen Speid, told THE WEEKEND STAR.

"She is a good child generally from all reports. At school, the child is not anything near all what is suggested in the video. We don't write off children and parents. We think that they can be helped."

Talk bout sex

The five-minute video, which was posted on the child's page on Monday, was filmed by the mother, whose voice can be heard in the background, while the child is seen on the screen.

"At 11 years old you a talk bout sex and all dem something deh. How that concern you? Mi might mash up you face a talk bout you deh pon Facebook. Damn out of order. A yuh book me want to see you tek up. Me not even know wah fi say the way how you disgust me," the mother is heard saying.

The enraged mother then slaps the child in her face, before continuing with the verbal onslaught.

"You not even know how fi wipe you a.. properly, and a talk about love at 11 years old. The only person you supposed to love is your mother, your book and God. You nuh supposed to love nobody else," she said.

The parent then went on to express her concern that her daughter's actions might expose her to paedophiles online. She also added that the video served to set the record straight regarding her daughter's age, as she had been making claims that she was a teenager.

121,000 views

Since then, the video has been shared on numerous pages, and has racked up more than 121,000 views, and nearly 700 comments on one profile.

Upon learning of the video, Children's advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison said she supports any parent who takes steps to discipline their child, however, she expressed concern about the mother's method.

"Sometimes when you have a good objective, and you mix it in with something that tends to dilute the effectiveness of the objective, it can basically have the child being resentful towards you, and possibly push the child to rebel and seek other ways to continue the behaviour," she said.

"We are encouraging parents to be vigilant, discipline, and guide, but be very careful that in doing so, you don't end up pushing your child away."