Something less flippant.
When I was younger my little brother and I stayed at our older brother and his wife's house on a fairly regular basis, to give our mother a break and so my brother and his wife could spend time with us, though I think they were gluttons for punishment wanting to.
Anyhow, on one such occasion my brother had invited a fellow business-type blokey to dinner with us and, since little bro and myself were there, he'd suggested the guy bring his daughters. I don't remember much about the girls, but what I do recall is that they were subdued, and that whenever their dad picked them up to give them a kiss or tickle them they half-resisted and then sort of seemed resigned to it.
I'm not the most empathic person, in fact I'm anything but, but I really did and possibly do think that there was something very wrong there -- I don;t think a little girl should look at her dad quite the way those girls did. I do hope I was wrong, but part of me thinks I should have tried to find out.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Fri 8 Apr 2011, 22:45, 2 replies)

You were only a kid. What could you have done?
The girls wouldn't have told you anyway.

Chances are that someone else picked up those signals too, and were in a position to help.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Sat 9 Apr 2011, 13:23, closed)

You're right, of course.
I just wonder whether I made the right decision keeping it to myself or not -- I may have been wrong and telling my brother would have been a mistake, or I could have been right. I suppose it's the typical self-centred belief that I could have done something.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Sat 9 Apr 2011, 14:41, closed)