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Italian Court: It's OK to Threaten Kids With Kick in the Pants
Man told nephew to scram or get the boot
By Matt Cantor
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Posted Aug 11, 09 1:17 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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There’s nothing wrong with telling teens they’ll get kicked in the pants for misbehaving—at least not in Italy, the country’s high court ruled today. A mom had accused her son’s uncle of abuse for issuing the warning, calling it a serious threat. But the court held that “the statement cannot be deemed abusive, given the type of language used by the new generation," Italy’s ANSA reports.
The uncle’s comment “was only meant to censure, albeit rudely, the behavior” of the nephew and his friends, the court said, and the words were “incapable of sparking real fear.” The kids had been loitering when the uncle told them to go home, lest they get kicked.