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Mom Encourages Son To Fight, Expert Weighs In On Video

LANSDOWNE, Md. (WJZ)—Hundreds of people are reacting to a controversial video first aired on WJZ: a mom who says she encouraged her son to fight a bully. It ended with a violent fight and a police investigation. Did she handle it the right way?

Mike Hellgren has expert advice.

The bullying problem has generated nationwide attention in recent months. WJZ.COM has been flooded with varying comments on whether they agree with how the mom handled this. Now a psychiatrist weighs in.

Alleged bully: "I'll beat the *** out of your son." 

Mom:  "If you beat the *** out of my son, he's right there. Do it."

Kelly White says she was fed up with her son being chased home, so she confronted the boy she believed was bullying him and encouraged her son to fight him.

Mom:  "Bang him in his *** face. "

Son:  "Help me, Mom." 

Mom:  "No, get up and fight now."

Mom:  "Get mad and *** him up."

"As a parent, I felt I was protecting my child to stand up to this child," White said.

Child psychiatrist Mahmood Jahromi watched WJZ's report intently.

"This is not the usual thing you want to see in parents to encourage their children to fight like they are in the third World War," Jahromi said.

Son: "Mom, help me."

Mom: "Get up, now.

Son: "I can't." 

Mom: "Get up, now."

And  Jahromi says a parent reacting like this is rare.

"The mother was desperate," he said. "Children handle bullies in their own ways, but the parents are there to teach them how to problem solve in socially acceptable manners." 

The mother of the other child told WJZ that her son is no bully. She was too upset to even watch the video.

Viewers responded passionately at WJZ.com. Some feel the mom on the video was in the right; others disagree.

Mom:  "He still stood up to him.  Now, chase him every day, and I bet you give him a week, and he'll *** you up."

So what should happen now?  Jahromi says the moms need to meet "without the children being around, to talk this over, and come to a resolution--hopefully, a peaceful resolution."

He says they should then show the children they can get along and solve problems without resorting to violence.

Baltimore County Police say they are still reviewing the video and investigating whether any charges should be filed.

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