Flight Attendant Acted Properly by Intervening for Child Slapped by Mother, Expert Says

Barbara A. RittnerAssociate Dean for External Affairs and Ph.D programUniversity at BuffaloSchool of Social Work

Newswise — The story about a flight attendant intervening when a stressed mother slapped her 14-month daughter while on a Southwest Airlines flight obviously will trigger public debate about whether parents should ever slap their children, says Barbara Rittner, an associate dean in the University at Buffalo School of Work and expert on child welfare risk assessment. "In this case, the police, upon meeting with the family, felt it was an isolated incident and did not merit a referral to protective services. Regardless, the flight attendant’s actions should be considered in the context of the environment (an airplane), with potential flight safety issues (a distracted, fighting family with a crying baby potentially distracting other passengers), and the flight attendant's sense of responsibility for the child’s safety considering the baby had a black eye already (as evidence by having paramedics examine the child on landing). "

Although flying is especially stressful these days and can be particularly stressful for families traveling with infants, Rittner says she doubts this would have received such widespread attention if not for a recent story that grabbed so much attention concerning a flight attendant’s confrontation on another airline.

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