Do you know how to respond if you witness verbal abuse in a public place?
How to respond to verbal abuse in a public setting. Don’t just ignore it.

Come with me to Five Below and rediscover yourself in Empty Nest. Plus, what would you do if you witnessed verbal abuse? 5 powerful ways to respond.

Correction: In the video, I refer to the store as “Five and Below,” turns out it’s just “Five Below”.

What would you do if you witnessed verbal abuse? 5 Powerful Responses.
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Watch this video all the way through! Do you agree with what I did?

How to Respond

In the video, I describe a situation I witnessed and what I did. Here are some things to keep in mind if when you find yourself in this unfortunate circumstance. Have a plan in mind before you witness verbal abuse and you’ll know how to respond.

This article from Psychology Today recommends the following options if you witness verbal abuse of a child:

  1. Reach out to a verbally abused child to initiate kindly interactions.  This might be something as simple as making eye contact and smiling or giving the child a compliment.
  2. Explain also that the verbal abuse is not the fault of the child. If you can, let the child know you think the adult is out of line.
  3. Ask someone with authority to intervene. If the adult becomes verbally or physically threatening, don’t hesitate to call 911 or get a store manager and insist they call police. If you are fearful for your safety, follow the abuser at a distance and write down their license number to report.
  4. Encourage the disturbed adult to get help. It might be a statement like, “Can I help you? It looks like you’re having a rough time.”
  5. Recommend the disturbed parent to get help for their child “so that the child behaves better and does fewer things that are upsetting to you.” This may diffuse the situation long enough to allow the adult to consider approaching a professional.

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-ACHILD

Unsure how to recognize verbal abuse? Read this.

More About Five Below

Five Below has over 700 stores across the United States and the chain is growing quickly. The discount novelty store started in Philadelphia and is spreading west. While the store targets teens and tweens, it has universal appeal.

Five Below stores were founded as the “allowance store”. A trendy location for teens and tweens to try fads out for size, while flexing their consumer muscles.

In our increasingly online retail world, people are visiting a physical store location for a bargain experience they can’t find on their laptop. The psychological rush of beating someone out on a deal keeps buyers of all ages and incomes coming back to discount retailers for more.

Mass retailers are focusing ever less on high-quality goods — you can buy those cheaper online — and ever more on creating faster, cheaper ways to provide a satisfying shopping experience.

How Philly-Based Five Below Became a Billion-Dollar Company

Eight Worlds

The Five Below store is divided into 8 “worlds”:

  • Style: trendy tween apparel, most sizes won’t fit the average adult
  • Room: room accessories with fun pops of color
  • Sports: home gym equipment
  • Tech: headphones, chargers
  • Crafts: beautiful journals, craft kits, and office supplies
  • Party: tableware and themes
  • Candy: popular teen brands
  • Now (seasonal): to the right of store’s front entrance

Because Five Below targets young teens, there are gag and PG-13 items sprinkled throughout the store. If you’re over 21, my advice: head to the back third of the store. You’ll find home gym items, office supplies, and clearance items at unbeatable prices.

Soon, there may be a Ten Below store in your area featuring IKEA-type home and decor items.

Check out the 5 Below Facebook page for seasonal ideas and product updates.

More $5 Fridays:

Look what I got for just $5 at Five Below. Plus-how to respond when you witness verbal abuse in public.
Do you know the right way to respond if you witness verbal abuse? Keep reading for 5 powerful options.