Boy Holds 'I Am A Bully' Sign For Passersby, Sparking Heated Debate Online

A video of a young boy being publicly punished for bullying has gone viral on social media. And, like most things that find their way to the internet, people had plenty to say about the heavy-handed method of teaching the boy a lesson.

In the clip, the boy was seen standing by the side of the road and declaring himself as a “bully” to passersby. “I am a bully. Honk if you hate bullies,” read the all-caps sign. It is unclear whether the boy was really being reprimanded or whether the entire incident was a stunt for public attention, according to New York Post.

A few feet away from the child were a man and woman, presumed to be the child’s parents. Sitting with a cool-as-a-cucumber demeanor, the pair were on lounge chairs while the boy was captured next to them with the sign held up high.

TikTok user, @userkvwohn43eu, shared the video on the social media platform and saw the clip rack up more than 5 million views. Flabbergasted voices in the background could be heard commenting on the unconventional punishment. “Boo parents” and “that’s so foul” were statements heard in the clip. Many shared the post on other platforms as well.

Social media users had opposing views on whether a punishment like this could really help discipline a child. Some believed it was a bit too much for a young boy to handle.

“Discipline is okay. Public discipline is not going to teach them anything,” said one commenter while another said, “Publicly embarrassing your child isn't the way to fix the problem. His parents probably bully him at home so he goes and bullies someone weaker.”

“Parents will literally do anything besides take their kids to therapy,” another user said.

The online debate also saw users praising the idea of publically shaming the child.

“Bad parents? Lol dude you are soft and (that’s) one great way to handle that,” one user said, as reported by Daily Dot.

“If you disagree with this as a form of punishment, you’re soft lmao. Kid needs to learn his lesson,” chimed one user while another lauded the idea by saying, “That’s parenting. Discipline, embarrassment to make them never do it again. That def ain’t mean.”