Singapore dad rushes to confront bully who slapped his son

SINGAPORE: In a video that has gone viral, a father in Singapore talked about how he was there for his son after the boy was bullied.

The video from Shaun Yeo, which he posted on Instagram and TikTok, has gotten almost half a million views and hundreds of comments, with parents sharing their own experiences with bullying.

Mr Yeo began by saying that his son had been slapped outside school, and the boy who did this also chanted gang slogans. He rushed to where his son was, but on the way, he was “overwhelmed with emotions” because it was not the first time his son had been hit by the other boy, who reportedly has a reputation for being “a school bully who always chooses violence.”

As upset as he was, Mr Yeo said he would not retaliate. “Who am I to hit him? He’s also someone else’s son. right? I was just very angry.”

He also did not want to impress upon his son that violence should be resorted to to solve issues.

What Mr Yeo did instead was to bring the other boy back to school, specifically to the Vice-Principal’s office. 

“I just wanted to let him know that this father very on one. So don’t come near my son. That’s what I meant by being present,” he added, saying that his family may not be rich or live an extravagant lifestyle, but as parents, what is important is celebrating the small wins with their children, as well as supporting them when they’re down.

And while he stepped in for this particular incident, he also underlined the need to leave children to fight their own battles, as this is part of growing up and preparing them to solve problems in the future.

“Remember, having all the money in the world without being present is equivalent to zero. Your kids just need a safe space to grow in and know that ‘my daddy will always be here,’” he said.

His post appears to have resonated with many others, who commended him for how he handled the situation.

“When my child was bullied and threatened with a penknife years back, we went to make a police report and reported it to the school…I just wanted to make sure the school knew that we took this seriously. We wanted our son to know he has us to fall back on, and we wanted that bully to know that the boy he bullied has parents who will make an effort to be present. Btw, well done for doing so, totally agree with all that you said,” wrote an IG user.

“Gotta let our kids know we got their back!” commented another.

A TikTok user wrote, meanwhile, “What a cool dad! The way he handles the situation is commendable. We need to learn from him.”

“I want to order this father… Shopee got?” another joked.

“Well done, bro. I am sure your son is proud to have you as his dad. Parenting is not just providing our kids with money or bringing them to nice restaurants, but when they need your presence, you are there,” a commenter chimed in. /TISG

Read also: ‘Why do they have to act out in violence?’ — Singaporean asks if bullying has become more serious