Dr. Laura: 

I was listening to your program today about the call regarding the mom who took her daughter over to a friend's house with several children. The boys were picking on the girls and her daughter came downstairs in tears.  The mother progressed to tell the boy that he was wrong.  When the boy snickered at the mom, she yelled at him. The mother was second-guessing herself and you told her she was correct in her actions. 

Here is a personal experience that can reassure the mother she did the right thing: When I was 16, I babysat two brothers.  On several occasions the older brother, who was 10-years-old, would try to grab me in an inappropriate manner.  I told the mother and she basically said boys will be boys and not to worry. Finally, one day when he lunged at me and tried to grab my breast, I was done. I called his mother, told her what he had done and I would stick around until she got home but that was my final day. Needless to say, she was extremely angry at me and told the whole neighborhood I was a liar.  She said her son was a perfect boy and would never do anything like that. She also said I abandoned her sons and I couldn't be trusted to babysit other children in the neighborhood. 

Fast forward 10 years... the little angel drugged and raped a 14-year-old girl. Hmmm I guess mommy and daddy didn't see that one coming. 

Ann