Diner Owner Yells at Two-Year-Old Girl

September 11, 2015

Unlocking Word Meanings
 今日の単語・フレーズ

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article. 

1. yell /yɛl/ (v.) – to speak loudly or to shout
Example: Everyone was yelling so loud that I couldn’t understand anything.

2. incident /ˈɪn sɪ dənt/ (n.) – an unpleasant event
Example: I cannot forget the embarrassing incident that happened last week.

3. social media /ˈsoʊ ʃəl ˈmi di ə/ (n.) – websites where people share information and communicate with others
Example: He frequently updates his social media accounts.

4. set foot in /sɛt fʊt ɪn/ (idiom) – to enter or to go inside a place
Example: The first time I set foot in a museum was during our fourth grade field trip.

5. handle /ˈhæn dl/ (v.) – to deal with something
Example: Employees should be able to handle their emotions when receiving negative feedback.


Article
 ニュース記事

Read the text below.
A diner owner gives her defense for yelling at a two-year-old to silence the crying child.

Marcy’s Diner owner, Darla Neugebauer [NOO-je-bou-ur], said that she will not apologize for what she did, as it got the little girl to stop. She added that yelling at the child made her and the people at the restaurant happy. Neugebauer shared on Facebook that the two-year-old had been crying at her diner for more than 40 minutes, so she had to shout at the little girl.

The child’s mother, Tara Carson, said that she was shocked when the diner owner yelled at her daughter. After the incident, Carson got involved in a heated exchange with Neugebauer on social media. She said that she would have appreciated it if Neugebauer had directly spoken to her about the matter instead of yelling at her daughter.

Neugebauer also received negative reactions from other people on social media. Some people have even expressed that they will never set foot in the restaurant because of the said incident.

The negative reactions on social media stem from the possible effects of yelling at children. According to a 2014 study published in the Journal of Family Psychology, children who often get yelled at are more at risk of having depression and behavioral problems.

Another study also found that being yelled at by adults, especially by their parents, results in children not learning how to properly handle their emotions.

Viewpoint Discussion
 ディスカッションテーマ

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.  

Discussion A

·         What are your thoughts about this issue?
·         If you were Darla Neugebauer, what would you have done to make the child stop crying? Please explain your answer.

Discussion B

·         Why do you think some parents or adults yell at children?
·         Aside from the effects mentioned in the article, how else can being yelled at affect children?

September 11, 2015