A parent in New Castle is raising concerns about child safety after describing a troubling incident at a local apartment playground.
The situation, shared in a community Facebook group, has sparked wider discussion among residents about supervision, bullying, and accountability.
According to the post by Raven Justice Robinson, the incident occurred at the Stonegate apartment playground, where she had taken her young daughter to play.
Robinson claims that within minutes of arriving, two young boys, estimated to be under the age of six, began aggressively bullying her child.
She described the behavior as physical and verbal, including kicking, shoving, hair pulling, and name-calling.
To the parents of Stonegate,
Please stop leaving your preschool/early elementary school kids to just run free around the apartment complex! I just took my daughter to the playground out here and 2 boys, both 6 years or under, were completely unattended and full on bullying my daughter. They kicked her, shoved her, pulled her hair, and called her names.
Raven Justice Robinson
We stayed for not even 10 minutes before we had to leave. This is not the first time this has happened either. I am usually the ONLY parent out with my child when she goes around Stonegate, and thats just worrying to me. Especially because most of these kids are mean, disrespectful, and not being safe in the driving/parking areas! I want my child to be able to play safely where we live, and that’s just not a possibility it seems…
Robinson said she attempted to intervene and asked the boys to stop multiple times.
However, the situation escalated to the point where her daughter became visibly distressed and close to tears.
Concerned for her child’s safety, Robinson decided to leave the playground after less than ten minutes.
She also noted that this was not an isolated incident. According to her, similar situations have happened before, and she is often the only adult present while children play in the area.
The lack of supervision, she said, is a major concern, especially with children running unsafely near parking and driving zones.
Ongoing Concerns About Supervision
The post quickly drew attention from other residents, many of whom shared similar experiences.
Several commenters echoed concerns about children being left unsupervised in the apartment complex, suggesting that the issue may be more widespread than a single incident.
Robinson emphasized that her frustration is directed more toward parents than the children themselves.
She pointed out that kids between the ages of four and seven are frequently left alone, which can lead to unsafe and disruptive behavior.
In follow-up comments, Robinson stated that she would consider contacting authorities if the situation happens again.
She explained that during the incident, her priority was getting her daughter to safety, but she plans to take further action in the future if necessary.
Other residents mentioned that there are no security cameras near the playground, making it difficult to monitor or document incidents.
This lack of oversight has added to the concerns about safety and accountability within the complex.
Community Reactions and Shared Experiences
The discussion also highlighted broader concerns about bullying among children in the community.
Some parents shared personal stories of their own children facing similar situations in public spaces around New Castle.
Jenn Osborne commented,
“Have the police come out and bring the children home. It hits different with a mandatory report to DCS.”
Jenn Osborne
Chelsea Williams shared her experience, saying,
it’s so sad for our kids, I don’t live in stonegate but do live in new castle. I’ve had to pick my 12 year old daughter up 3 times this week (she went to play at a public place close to my parents), she called me upset, I got there within a couple minutes and she was hysterically crying, hyperventilating, terrified because some girls in middle school were picking on her, trying to fight her. My daughter is NOT a fighter and these girls are older and bigger than her. It’s terrible, my daughter can’t even go out in public and enjoy the weather with her friends because all these kids out here just bullying and ganging up on her. Im so over it.
Chelsea Williams
Kelly Callahan added,
“The kids learn that from the parents,”
Kelly Callahan
Meanwhile, Kindra Stidham described ongoing issues at the complex, including older individuals bullying younger children and disruptive behavior around the apartments.
I live at Stonegate but normally a lot of the kids are alone and not watched. My son goes out and play but I’m either sitting on the back porch or standing at the back door and I have kids follow my son in my apartment,I have no idea who they are. We had the manager involved recently over a 19 year old was bullying the little kids out here and was messing with the apartments and kicking very loud on doors then leaving. I had to pull my cousin inside at 6 years old because he was punched in the face by a 14 year old. My son does not play much outside here anymore and luckily I’m moving out in a couple weeks.
Kindra Stidham
She noted that her own child no longer plays outside as often due to safety concerns.
Some residents suggested involving property management, while others encouraged immediate police involvement.
A few also pointed out that similar issues have reportedly existed in the area for years.
As the conversation continues, the incident has brought renewed attention to the importance of supervision and community responsibility.
For many parents in New Castle, ensuring a safe environment for children to play remains a growing concern.
