Should You Stop A Parent From Swearing At A Child?

I never had children of my own, but one thing life has taught me is that when it comes to kids, and pets for that matter, it's that we need to do everything we can to protect them from anything threatening or harmful.   So when I saw a mom (maybe an aunt or guardian) verbally abusing a young child, why didn't I know what to do?   As the obscenities poured from her mouth, should have I interrupted?   My first gut feeling was to step in and tell her to stop.  If it was physical abuse I would have taken the child out of reach and contacted the police.

But the insults and language?   What is the right thing to do.  We had a listener call in when I mentioned this on the air.   She said she witnessed a similar incident a couple of days earlier, and she did say something to the mom.

Her point, this kind of treatment could turn the young child into a bully.   Being bullied by a parent set a bad example.   She may be exactly right.   I hope I never see a situation of an adult swearing at their young child again.  If I do, I think I know which role I'll play in the situation.