What happens when you ask a boy to slap a girl? Nothing is the answer.
A group of boys were individually interviewed as part of a social media experiment in Italy. They were each asked a series of questions, starting with their name, age and what they want to be when they grow up.
Then they are introduced to a pretty young girl. They all become somewhat shy and are asked to pay the girl a compliment.
Then they are asked to caress her and none of the boys hesitate - some stroke her hair, while others touch her arm. They are then asked to pull a funny face, and the girl laughs.
It's all a hunky dory, if slightly awkward, until things turn a dark corner.
The boys are asked to slap the girl... and they all refuse, point blank.
Their reasons are simple:
"Why? Cause she's a girl, I can't do it."
"Because you're not supposed to hit girls, I don't want to hurt her."
"Girls shouldn't be hit, not even with a flower."
"I'm against violence."
"Why? Because I'm a man!"
And then the video's slogan flashes across the screen: "In the kids' world, women don't get hit."
