An Atlanta-area barbershop is offering a controversial haircut free as a means of punishment for misbehaving children.
Russell Frederick of A-1 Kutz in Snellville, Ga. says the “Benjamin Button Special” is meant to be a creative, last-ditch effort at discipline.
Not everyone has been receptive to a new ‘do intended to embarrass a child into acting properly. As is implied by the “Benjamin Button” monicker, the cut trims a child’s hair to perfectly resemble an aging (read: balding) adult. “So u wana act grown. well now u look grown too,” reads the caption on an Instagram photo posted to Frederick’s account.
Frederick, a 34-year-old father of three, told Atlanta’s WSB-TV that his 12-year-old son was the first Benjamin Button recipient. The boy’s grades, which were in need of improvement, ‘skyrocketed and he got back on track’ following the haircut, he said.
Some experts have cautioned that shame-based punishments may cause long-term harm or lead to a cycle of bad behavior.
