Teen praised for response after stepmum lets 'bratty' sister steal his gift
Physical violence against any living creature - human or animal - is abhorrent and illegal. However, one man has been applauded by strangers for slapping his stepmother after a heated family argument boiled over into chaos.
Sharing his issues on social media, the 19-year-old man revealed that following the row his blended family has been left in tatters and he’s unsure of what to do next. Giving some background on the situation, he explained that his parents had split up several years ago with his dad remarrying another woman with two children, Henry* 13, and Hannah* eight.
His mum had moved back to her home in France recently but he had decided to stay in the US for his education. Admitting his relationship with his stepmum has never been amazing, he added that they do get on occasionally but that things can be tense in the household.
The teenager explained that the ‘slapping’ incident occurred on his 19th birthday when his own mum surprised him with a visit. Delighted to see her, he was even more overjoyed when she presented him with a personalised gold bracelet.
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Everyone was managing to get along, however, when his stepsister Hannah saw the bracelet she instantly took a shine to it. He wrote: “My stepmother told her no but she has a habit of wanting and taking things that don’t belong to her. Her behaviour hasn’t been properly disciplined so she expects it. It’s not the first time and I’ve spoken to my father about it several times.”
The birthday boy finished blowing out his candles and was shocked when Hannah took it upon herself to ask him for the bracelet herself. He added: “I told her no but I stupidly left it on the table with the other gifts. Later that night I heard my mother shouting and I went to see what was happening. It was my mother and my stepmother arguing.”
He explained that standing there looking very happy with herself was his stepsister, who had his gold bracelet around her wrist. Furious, everyone began shouting before the dad stepped in to intervene and calm things down. Telling Hannah to hand the jewellery over, she refused and went to run off but her stepbrother grabbed her and pulled the bracelet off.
Shocked, the teenager revealed that his stepmum slapped him for grabbing her daughter, and in the heat of the moment, he slapped her back. Deciding the best course of action was to leave, the 19-year-old left and went to stay with his mum at her hotel.
He went on: “I got home and my stepmother and her children haven’t said a word to me, and my father has hardly spoken to me because I haven’t apologized. About a week ago I started to get texts and calls from my stepmother’s family saying how I'm a horrible person for hitting her. I complained to my father but he hasn't told my stepmother anything and they’ve even started sending edited photos of me with ‘Woman Beater’. I’ve deleted my social media accounts and created different ones.
He finished: “I know hitting women is wrong and I don't encourage it but in my point of view she hit me first and I got angry but I'm considering apologizing to her and getting over the entire issue. What should I do?”
The complex and controversial Reddit post quickly gathered thousands of comments, many of whom urged him to leave the toxic household. One person wrote: “You reacted in self-defense. The first and only time I slapped my mother was when she slapped me across the face. It was an instinctual reaction and response. She shouldn’t have hit you. You didn’t hurt her daughter by grabbing her, she threw a fit because she doesn’t know the word “no”. Biggest point here: your dad didn’t choose you. He chose his wife and her kids. Move to France if you have the opportunity.”
A survivor of domestic violence also commented, writing: “Coming from a woman, and a daughter of a domestically abused woman, you are not the a**hole. You were in a high-stress situation and reacted without forethought. You are still young and in a messed-up family dynamic. Perhaps France with your mother is the best option for you right now.”
But not everyone was on his side. Someone else penned: “You are a 19-year-old boy who manhandled a bratty eight-year-old. Her mom pushes you away from her and you smacked her too. You are definitely the a**hole. Forget the "step" aspect, if all of you were my kids and you started manhandling your eight-year-old sister and then smacked your mother for intervening I would lay you out so fast you wouldn't know what hit you. You're very lucky your dad didn't put you through a wall.”
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*Names have been changed to protect identities.
If you've been affected by this story and live in the US, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline, call 1-800-799-7233, text "START" to 88788, or visit Anyone affected by abuse and in need of support can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233). Advocates are available 24/7 and can also be reached via live chat on or by texting "START" to 88788 or "" to 22522.
If you live in the UK and have been affected by issues of domestic violence or coercive control you can call Refuge's 24-Hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free. The number is 0808 2000 247
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