I live in a fairly small townhouse and I have... difficult next-door neighbors. They've always been loud and obnoxious, being that, what I think I've figured out, there's a mom and a dad (although he's gone most of the time) and five kids, ranging from a toddler to a kid in his mid-teens. Also, there's a little rat terrier, although they never let her in the house... even when they're gone for the weekend. They just leave her out there.
I was thinking about calling the Humane Society, but then I realized the problem wasn't just with the dog. A few weeks ago, I heard the mother drunkenly and angrily swearing at her kids. She was threatening to "beat the fuck out of" one of them, and then there were several audible smacks. Keep in mind, this is on their back patio... about five feet away from where I was sitting.
Then, the dad came around for a few weeks, and, while they were still being obnoxious, things got more jovial and they even let the dog in the house. I felt a little better.
Yesterday, I was outside smoking, and I heard them all saying goodbye to their dad.
Tonight, I went outside, and the neighbors had a small bonfire going. They were listening to "Losing My Religion" by REM, and the little boy (five or six is my guess) was dancing and commenting on how it was a weird video. His brother told him he looked gay, and his mom said, "James. Quit it. You look like a fucking fag."
The kid cried and whined a little, until his mom started screaming that he needed to get inside and make up his bed (which is the sleeper sofa, from what I gathered), and he cried some more and went into the house.
There was a brief interlude which included mom, talking to her teenage daughter, calling Ellen Degeneres a "fucking dyke". Daughter told mom she was tired and wanted to go to bed, mom begged daughter to stay up. Daughter begged, with no response, mom to wake her up in the morning.
Then the kid came back outside, crying because he couldn't get the sleeper sofa open, and the mom just started raging. "Fine! If you can't do it yourself you can sleep on the fucking floor!" "Go to bed, you little shit, or I'm gonna beat your ass!" *Smack smack smack* *cry wail cry* *smack smack smack*. "Mom! I don't know what I should do!" "Figure it out!" *smack*
I moved in in October, and they moved in around November. There has always been this weird thing, where my roommate and I are nice to the kids (my roommate works for a popular magazine and gives them back issues. I give them my old hoops), and the mom has never even looked at us... well, until last week when she came to our door to try to sell us something.
I'm really worried about these kids... I feel like the worst case scenario is she'll kill one of them, and best case is that she'll turn them into bigoted abusers like herself. I'm worried about the kids, but I'm also worried about what will happen to us if she gets wind that I called a social worker or the Humane Society or both. I honestly don't know what to do here, and it's been a thing bugging me for months.
My roommate doesn't want me to do anything. My sister thinks I need to stand up for the kids and the dog by calling social services.
What do you guys think? I really appreciate you taking your time.
I was thinking about calling the Humane Society, but then I realized the problem wasn't just with the dog. A few weeks ago, I heard the mother drunkenly and angrily swearing at her kids. She was threatening to "beat the fuck out of" one of them, and then there were several audible smacks. Keep in mind, this is on their back patio... about five feet away from where I was sitting.
Then, the dad came around for a few weeks, and, while they were still being obnoxious, things got more jovial and they even let the dog in the house. I felt a little better.
Yesterday, I was outside smoking, and I heard them all saying goodbye to their dad.
Tonight, I went outside, and the neighbors had a small bonfire going. They were listening to "Losing My Religion" by REM, and the little boy (five or six is my guess) was dancing and commenting on how it was a weird video. His brother told him he looked gay, and his mom said, "James. Quit it. You look like a fucking fag."
The kid cried and whined a little, until his mom started screaming that he needed to get inside and make up his bed (which is the sleeper sofa, from what I gathered), and he cried some more and went into the house.
There was a brief interlude which included mom, talking to her teenage daughter, calling Ellen Degeneres a "fucking dyke". Daughter told mom she was tired and wanted to go to bed, mom begged daughter to stay up. Daughter begged, with no response, mom to wake her up in the morning.
Then the kid came back outside, crying because he couldn't get the sleeper sofa open, and the mom just started raging. "Fine! If you can't do it yourself you can sleep on the fucking floor!" "Go to bed, you little shit, or I'm gonna beat your ass!" *Smack smack smack* *cry wail cry* *smack smack smack*. "Mom! I don't know what I should do!" "Figure it out!" *smack*
I moved in in October, and they moved in around November. There has always been this weird thing, where my roommate and I are nice to the kids (my roommate works for a popular magazine and gives them back issues. I give them my old hoops), and the mom has never even looked at us... well, until last week when she came to our door to try to sell us something.
I'm really worried about these kids... I feel like the worst case scenario is she'll kill one of them, and best case is that she'll turn them into bigoted abusers like herself. I'm worried about the kids, but I'm also worried about what will happen to us if she gets wind that I called a social worker or the Humane Society or both. I honestly don't know what to do here, and it's been a thing bugging me for months.
My roommate doesn't want me to do anything. My sister thinks I need to stand up for the kids and the dog by calling social services.
What do you guys think? I really appreciate you taking your time.
