This could be interesting, and as I read; could divide many.
Although I believe disrespect should be nipped in the bud, by teacher, policeman - or other authoritative figure, not sure that this guy will get away with it.
Not knowing the full facts… but i think he should be backed, to send a message that the child will not get away with it. i think everyone has their own hard stance on this, and will be quite emotive.
Not acceptable behaviour by either of them but as the adult he’s in the wrong (IMO) and should expect to be dealt with appropriately.
Not knowing the full circumstances it’s hard to come to any judgement, but if the lad ran in front of a moving bus the driver would very likely be shocked and shaken, and those circumstances might well be taken into account in judging his behaviour. The fact that the driver has himself questioned his actions suggests that he acted out of character, and that should, I think, weigh in his favour.
Apart from anything else, punishing the driver could be seen by the lad, his entourage, and the wider public as vindicating his childish recklessness. Although boys are often reckless, it goes with growing up, it should not be publicly sanctioned as OK.
You are right about that, and once again I suppose the held attitudes would stem from personal experience or experiences.
From my early childhood corporeal discipline was part of my life. Although I have no recollection of it it seems I would have qualified as a ‘battered child’. In the streets of Slough a policeman was well within his rights to administer a quick clip around the ear to us juvenile miscreants. As we got older discipline was administered ‘under the lash’ by various Teachers - and guess what? I didn’t like it at all! Not always successfully I tried to avoid doing things that warranted or justified caning - or at least trying not to get caught!
I slightly older neighbour of mine was, I believe, the last person to get the ‘cat’ in an English prison (Probably checkable as I remember his name well - Mick Fellows). I remember him swearing he would never go to prison again after that, and putting the fear of prison well and truly into my adolescent soul!
Many times in my life I have come close to doing things that were to say the least inadvisable and backed away at the thought of applicable, usually physical punishments.
On other occasions I have been more reckless and only considered things after I had done them.
Overall though, even when I didn’t like authority, a healthy fear of it I feel was no bad thing. I still feel that is true today, and that there is no fear of disciplinary action AT ALL seems to be a primary reason for much behaviour that would have landed me and mine in a Borstal institution at least. Even Expulsion from a school was regarded as the cap on getting any decent job.
Needless to say there were those on which disciplines like these were ineffective, but I think it fair to say that in general physical discipline was far and away the most effective.
Now you can all accuse me of being a reactionary old Fart, - well so be it.
Yes, I do realise it is Timewalking again! Why do these subjects pop up so frequently when they are so dated?
Norman… there are folk joining the Forum - who have not seen threads and may/may not find them interesting.
This is the first time you have posted on this subject and what you say will ring bells for many of us oldies.
I too have fond memories of the village bobby etc - you are not alone.
I laughingly told my grandson “I’ll tan your hide if you do that” whereupon he laughingly replied “I’ll tan your hide too Nanna” 
Neither of us was being “politically correct” - however, we both understood and neither felt threatened with actual bodily harm - but grandson refrained from doing whatever it was I had taken objection to
The “hide tanning” threat obtained the required effect. Others would have taken you to court for that. Such is the way society has gone these days.
It is a very strange world. Personally, IMO a gentle tap (not a hard slap) can have a beneficial effect, when all the words in the world have failed.
There are extremes to which I would not go. I still shudder at the memory of my mother holding my little brothers fingers onto the hot fire surround. She was fed up with telling him of the danger. 
OK but on that basis why do I get clobbered every time I do it?
Who is clobbering you. The only hiccup might well be - if you direct a question to someone who is no longer posting on the forum. Folk do come and go over the years.
Having said that, if their email is still correct, they will possibly/probably still be notified that someone has shown an interest in their post/thread - so no harm done.
Try and imagine folk smiling rather than frowning - when you dig up a relic …
You are not the only one on here. who seems to get clobbered by some of the selected few.
Now then Thomas - no-one’s clobbering anyone.
The sun is shining - all is well with the world - and Boris Johnson is due to be PM 
Who are these mysterious selected few… or is it shades of Infamy, infamy they’ve all got it in for me ! 
Blimey Stella, reckon you should wash your mouth out with soap for uttering those unpleasant words … Boris and PM in one sentence 
We all need a good laugh to raise our spirits
Yippee, BoJo as PM, there is light at the end of the tunnel. It seems 3 of the wannbes got the boot.
BoJo and PM all in one comment.
The only good thing you can say about today is that Esther McVey has been eliminated.
It is exceedingly worrying, however, that 9 Tory MPs think she would make a good Prime Minister 