How can we save them?Children and Abuse? Please Read, and tell me If this is abuse or Do you think it is ok!?

Maybe Child Protective Services in your area would have done something more with your information on the vehicle.

so sad.... i would call again.... shifts at police stations generally change at 6 pm... i would also call dss ( department of social services ) and file a complaint with them. also look in the front of your phone book ( ours is the blue pages ) there should be a local number for the child abuse hotline.

Your alternative is to contact CPS and give them the same information.

That person could have been kidnapping that kid. Even if it was his kid, 15 times? And hard? And then throwing something at him? That's not right!

Police are often uncooperative in reports of abuse, since that's perceived as a macho thing. Call Protective Services. They are more likely to recognize abuse and respond to your report.

I've found that the police cannot always be expected to follow through on complaints like this. My neighbor was in the habit of beating his teenage son with a belt while his teenage wife was upstairs beating his 7 year old twins with her belt. I called the police, but the lieutenant on duty assured me that it was the parent's right to punish his children anyway way that he saw fit and that he personally wouldn't take kindly to anyone interfering with his punishing his own son. However, when I told my story to the local newspaper, the next day the whole family was hauled into the sheriff's office, resulting in mandatory family counseling on behalf of Child Protective Services. Make all the noise you need to. Call Child Welfare or Family Services or whatever it's called in PA. Call the newspapers, the TV stations, the State Police, the District Attorney, anyone who will listen. Times are changing, but it takes people like you and me sometimes to drag society, or least some of its members, kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

Maybe the officer you spoke to was tired or didn't want to be bothered that seems strange they wouldn't take that seriously. Call your local child protective services and give them the same information, they will do a welfare check. I wouldn't call the police (some cops are jerks anyway) CPS is who you call.

In Illinois there is a child abuse hotline, maybe there is one in PA. I was told that even though you call the hotline they local child protection agencies are so understaffed that they do not get a chance to investigate every suggestion of abuse. But if there is one, you should call so at least you have done what you can. If there is another report in the system of this man being an abuser it may help to make the call. And if you think there is a chance that this child had been abducted you can call the cops again and tell them what you saw, but take the position that you are worried that the man was not the child's father. Good luck. The world is full of people who love and cherish children, they do not make the news very often because it's not as "dynamic a story." Don't stop caring and getting involved.

Yes that does sound like an overreaction on his part but I think actually spanking and physical punishment used to be more common than it is now. Now we use 'time out'. I find it strange they did not do an investigation. That is great that you turned them in. Many people would just go on their merry way and not think twice.