What if you were asked to slap a stranger across the face? Would you do it? Probably not, I’m guessing, because you’re an adult and you (hopefully) know better. Kids, however, don’t always know better–and plenty of kids hit each other every day. But what happens when adults hit each other? What happens when a husband hits a wife? Is it something they’ve failed to outgrow from childhood, or is it something different? One Italian media company, Fanpage.it, wanted to find out. So, they enlisted the help of a few adorable Italian boys ages 6-11 to see if they would hit a girl.
I know what you’re thinking, WTF — right? But I promise this one is worth the watch. After we learn a bit about each of the individual boys, we get to watch them meet a girl named Martina. They each take turns complimenting her (my personal favorite is the one who wants to be her boyfriend), making her laugh, and even giving her a friendly caress. They laugh and feel super awkward about it, because preadolescence, but they do it. Then, they’re asked to slap her.
None of the boys can bring themselves to hit their new friend, and when they’re asked why, they deliver their answers in the most natural, plain way possible, all echoing the same basic message: hitting women is wrong.
“Because I am man,” the last boy says.
The three minute video sends a powerful message that violence, including and especially domestic violence, is learned, and if children can know better, so can we.
Watch the video below:
Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. If you cannot talk on the phone, or are outside of the U.S., you can take advantage of their live chat service here.
