'Why not? Because I'm a man': Tearjerker video shows touching reactions of boys who are asked to slap a girl in the street

  • Italian journalist asks boys aged between six and eleven to slap a girl
  • The children all look horrified and refuse 
  • When asked why, answers include 'Because I'm a man' and 'Never hit a girl'
  • The video is part of an anti-domestic violence campaign  

A heartwarming new video has proven once again that older doesn't necessarily mean wiser. 

An Italian video journalist called Luca Lavarone conducted a social experiment with children on a busy street, to highlight the issue of violence by men against women.

In the three-minute clip, several boys aged between six and eleven years old are introduced to a girl and asked to pay her a compliment, caress her, pull a funny face to make her laugh... and then they are told to slap her. 

The participants react to the final request with shock and appear visibly upset, but their responses as to why they won't go through with the task are the real tearjerker.  

A new video shows Italian boys aged between six and eleven asked to slap a girl. The children all look horrified and refuse. When asked why, answers include, 'Because I'm a man' and 'Never hit a girl'. The film is part of an anti-domestic violence campaign 

A new video shows Italian boys aged between six and eleven asked to slap a girl. The children all look horrified and refuse. When asked why, answers include, 'Because I'm a man' and 'Never hit a girl'. The film is part of an anti-domestic violence campaign 

The video was produced by the Italian news company Fanpage.it with the aim of putting an end towards domestic violence. 

It starts off with the cameraman asking several different boys, who they claim are ordinary members of the public, their names and ages on a busy Italian street.  

The children answer with a number of ages, that range from six to eleven. 

The boys are then asked what they would like to do when they grow up and they answer with a variety of professions that include a pizza maker, a footballer, a firefighter, a policeman and a baker.

Next, a pretty young girl with long blonde hair called Martina appears and is introduced to the boy who is being interviewed. 

A pretty young girl with long blonde hair called Martina appears and is introduced to the boy who is being interviewed

A pretty young girl with long blonde hair called Martina appears and is introduced to the boy who is being interviewed

The boys all look stunned and many of them giggle nervously as the cameraman asks: 'What do you like about her?

Among the replies are: 'Her eyes,' 'her hair,' 'her shoes and her hands,' and 'everything - you're a pretty girl.'  

One love-struck boy even says: 'I'd like to be your boyfriend.'

The cameraman than asks the boys to 'caress her,'  and the boys giggle nervously before quickly stroking her arm, hair or cheek. 

The cameraman than asks the boys to 'caress her,' and the boys giggle nervously before quickly stroking her arm, hair or cheek

The cameraman than asks the boys to 'caress her,' and the boys giggle nervously before quickly stroking her arm, hair or cheek

Next up, they are asked to make a funny face at her and they pull out their ears, stick out their tongue or do something similar. 

The finally, the cameraman tells them: 'And now... slap her!' 

Each boy he asks is shocked. Some frown or look perplexed, while others seem like they're about to cry.

But not one obliges.  

When the cameraman tells the boys to slap the girl standing next to them, each once is shocked.
Some frown or look perplexed, while others seem like they're about to cry.

When the cameraman tells the boys to slap the girl standing next to them, each once is shocked. Some frown or look perplexed, while others seem like they're about to cry

The cameraman says to each boy again: 'Slap her, hard!' Come on!
Then slowly, each boy looks at the cameraman and says no.

The cameraman says to each boy again: 'Slap her, hard!' Come on! Then slowly, each boy looks at him and says no

The cameraman says to each boy again: 'Slap her, hard!' Come on!

Then slowly, each boy looks at the cameraman and says no.  

He asks: 'Why not?'

At this point, each boy responds with an answer worthy of any domestic violence poster. 

One says: 'Why? Cause she's a girl, I can't do it.' Another replies: 'Because you're not supposed to hit girls, I don't want to hurt her.'

When the cameraman asks the boys why they are refusing to slap the girl standing next to them, they come up with a range of answers that would warm even the coldest hearts 

When the cameraman asks the boys why they are refusing to slap the girl standing next to them, they come up with a range of answers that would warm even the coldest hearts 

The clip ends with one of the younger boys looking directly the the camera, saying: 'Why? Because I'm a man!'

The clip ends with one of the younger boys looking directly the the camera, saying: 'Why? Because I'm a man!'

One of the eldest boys tells the interviewer: 'As the saying goes: 'Girls shouldn't be hit, not even with a flower.'

Another replies: 'I'm against violence.' 

The clip ends with one of the younger boys looking directly the the camera, saying: 'Why? Because I'm a man!'

A slogan then flashes up that reads: 'In the kids' world, women don't get hit.'

  

 

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