I see that people are demeaning the poster for what she phrased as "mean things" but we have no idea what "mean things" were said. it could range from "you look chubby in those shorts" to "i'm gonna kill you with a rusty machete." she was pissed when she wrote this and she may not have worded what she was saying the exact why she should have.

Depending on what he said, it could be verbal abuse. Verbal abuse can lead to esteem issues and plant her in counseling for the rest of her life.

While I am whole heartedly against corporal punishment, it is legal. If it continues or escalates then it is a problem.

Either way, the poster feels uncomfortable about what happened and it is not for us to judge. She should talk to an adult (mom, aunt, uncle, older sister, pastor, neighbor, etc.) about what happened and steps can be taken from there. She doesn't have to go to the police, but getting another adult involved might help, kind of like a "pick on someone your own size" thing. The father might feel more powerful over the daughter because she really can't fight back, but with another adult he is not as powerful or overbearing.

(I know parents are the authority of the family and that some of you say children shouldn't argue with their parents. Parents are only human and sometimes their judgement isn't the greatest. They also don't like to be corrected, even when wrong. And sometimes a calm debate can turn into an argument. Quite frankly, no matter a person's age they're entitled to an opinion which they should be allowed to voice.)