Dad Shaves Daughter's Head after She Made Fun and Pulled the Wig of a Classmate with Cancer

After a teenage girl made fun of her classmate with cancer for being bald, her father decided to punish her. The girl was not ready for the punishment, nor was her father prepared to face the backlash after posting about it on Reddit.

Being bullied as a child shatters one's confidence and makes one anxious around other people. Children usually get bullied in school by their classmates, who demean them based on their physical appearance, personality, or the things they own.

With the increased use of social media, children also get bullied over the internet, which leaves a lasting psychological impact. The girl in today's story bullied her classmate, not knowing her father would ask her to choose a punishment for herself.

Boy using his phone. | Source: Unsplash

THE CONCERNED FATHER

In 2019, Redditor MasterOfGamepipoca took to the AITA forum on Reddit to confess what he did to his teenage daughter after discovering she bullied a girl at school.

Before revealing the main story, the man shared that his daughter's mother was now his ex-wife. He was the primary caretaker of his daughter, so he didn't consult his ex before punishing her.

Like other parents, the man wanted the best for his teenage girl. He punished her because he wanted to teach her a lesson. The man turned to Reddit for advice because he thought he might be going too far with his punishment. "My daughter recently got involved in a problem at school," the concerned father said.

Young girl writing in a book. | Source: Unsplash

THE PROBLEM

The man's daughter wasn't on good terms with one of her classmates. Their disagreement stemmed from the fact that OP's (Original Poster's) daughter was dating the other girl's ex-boyfriend. After finding out about their relationship, the girl made an inappropriate remark that didn't sit well with OP's daughter.

The man gave his daughter two options to choose a punishment for herself.

One day, OP's daughter bullied the girl because she was bald after undergoing cancer treatment. She made fun of her in front of other students, tarnishing her reputation. OP said:

"My daughter even removed the wig from another girl."

Children in a classroom. | Source: Unsplash

HER EXPLANATION

When OP learned that his daughter bullied a girl with cancer at school, he asked her for an explanation. He felt nothing she would say could justify her behavior but wanted to hear what was going on in his daughter's mind.

The teenage girl justified her actions by saying her classmate had said mean things about her relationship with her boyfriend. OP confessed he felt "disgusted" after knowing what his daughter had done. He added:

"To make matters worse, my daughter showed no remorse about what she did and stated that the girl in question deserved it."

Man sitting on a sofa. | Source: Unsplash

THE PUNISHMENT

According to OP, it didn't matter what the other girl said to his daughter. He felt his daughter shouldn't have humiliated the girl by pulling her wig.

The man gave his daughter two options to choose a punishment for herself. The first option said he would confiscate all her devices, including her phone, prohibiting her from using them.

If she chose the second option, she would have to get her head shaved by a hairdresser. The man presented the teenage girl with things she would never want to do. However, she had no other choice except to choose a punishment for herself.

Close-up of braided hair. | Source: Unsplash

THE COMMENTS

The man titled his Reddit post, "AITA for shaving my daughter's hair for bullying a girl with cancer?" which implied that his daughter chose the latter option. He wrote a Reddit post to ask other users whether he did the right thing. Little did he know that majority of the Redditors would oppose his decision.

Redditor reginaphilangee1 felt OP was at fault for not paying attention to what the other girl did to his daughter. The Redditor highlighted that OP's daughter might be standing up for herself, so he shouldn't have punished her. The user added:

"Just because someone has cancer doesn't mean they can't be a bully too."

Barber holding a trimmer near a person's head. | Source: Unsplash

NO SUPPORT

Meanwhile, Redditor Ummah_Strong presented another argument to prove that OP was at fault, saying the man went too far with the punishment. The Reddit user said:

"Your daughter did something wrong but bullying her won't teach her empathy."

"The reaction was completely disproportionate," Reddit user MinorSpider said. Another user also agreed that OP was at fault and that he shouldn't have forced a haircut on his daughter because it might be "considered assault." The Redditor also said OP shouldn't have assumed that the girl with cancer was a "saint."

A girl leaning against a wall. | Source: Unsplash

MORE REACTIONS

While some users opposed OP's decision, others gave him some parenting suggestions. Redditor Panasonic213 advised OP to ask his daughter to volunteer at a children's cancer ward to teach her empathy. Reddit user TheMorrigan_13 said:

"YTA for your manner of punishment."

Bullying is an act no parent approves of, but dealing with your children after knowing they have bullied someone is tricky. We have collected some tips from experts to help you if you ever face such a situation.

Close-up of Reddit's logo. | Source: Unsplash

TIPS FROM EXPERTS

The first advice for parents who learn their child is bullying others is that they should talk to their child to know what they are thinking. According to experts, asking them about what happened would allow them to confess they made a mistake.

It is also recommended that parents should ask their children if they think what they did was right. They should make their kid look at the situation from the bullied child's perspective to help them realize bullying is a disrespectful act.

Instead of punishing their children, parents are advised to teach them how to deal with such a situation again. They should help them learn that bullying is a bad habit.

Parents spending time with their daughter. | Source: Unsplash

Most Redditors agreed that the man was at fault for punishing his daughter by shaving her head. What would you do if you were in his shoes? Do you think he did the right thing?

If you enjoyed reading this story, share it with other parents you know to educate them about this topic. It might help them become a better parent.

Click here to read another story about a woman who was bullied for marrying a man with a disability. Instead of feeling humiliated, she responded to her bullies and told them she wouldn't change anything.

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