A father who made his 10-year-old son run to school in the rain as punishment for bullying is getting both praise and scorn online after a Facebook video of his discipline tactic went viral.

Bryan Thornhill, whose Facebook profile suggests he’s a business owner in Virginia, recorded video of his son running to school as he followed him in his vehicle, and posted it as a message to other parents.

“Welcome to ‘you better listen to your dad 2018.’” Thornhill says at the start of the video.

He explains that his son got kicked off the school bus for three days “because he was being a little bully, which I do not tolerate.”

“Therefore, he has to now run to school.”

The video shows the boy running ahead of the vehicle in the rain. Thornhill point outs that his son is keeping a pace of six miles (about 9.6 kilometres) an hour.

“Ironically, since he’s been running to school this week, his behaviour has been much better,” he says, noting that his son’s teachers have said the same.

“This right here is just old-school, simple parenting,” Thornhill says. “This ain’t killing nobody. This is a healthy way for a child to be punished.

“He’s going to be a very fast runner later on,” he says, while urging others to “get creative” with their parenting.

Thornhill’s video got mixed reviews online, with some applauding his efforts to teach his son a lesson, and others accusing him of mistreating the boy.

“Good for this dad! I bet this kid won't be bullying anytime soon - if at all,” wrote one Facebook user.

Another wrote: “It’s great to see a parent who’s NOT afraid to correct/punish their child when needed & deserved.”

But others questioned Thornhill’s real motivations and wondered if the boy would get sick after running for so long in the rain.

“Good dads don't have to make videos of them disciplining their kids,” said one commenter, while another responded by calling Thornhill “self-involved” and “narcissistic.”

In the video, Thornhill says he loves his two children and just wants to raise them well. He claims that his son acknowledged his punishment was needed and still called him “the best daddy in the world.”

“Don’t be a friend, be a parent. That’s what children need these days,” Thornhill says.