If you thought it was really abusive, I think it would have been good to take the license number and call the police. Beating a child is never acceptable. Without knowing what happened before you saw the family, the mother's anger, while it never should have been taken out on the child, might have been understandable. Perhaps the child had been pitching fits and been obnoxious all day long, for example. Doesn't excuse beating and screaming, of course, but it would explain why mom didn't want to kiss and cuddle the child . . .

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