NFL (Vikings) star Adrian Petersen turned himself in to authorities on Saturday, after recklessly hurting his child. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Petersen posted a $15,000 bail and was released shortly after reporting to authorities. The Texas law states that a person can be convicted of injury to a child if they are proven to have caused bodily or mental injury intentionally/knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence. They could be punished with up to 2 years in jail and a $1,000 fine. Someone in Texas can defend themselves against a charge of injury to a child, if they can prove that it happened while they were responsibly showing "reasonable discipline." After seeing the child's injuries, prosecutors think that in his case, what Petersen did to his 4 year old son was intentional.
The child was repeatedly "spanked" with a tree branch and now has many bruises and cuts. Adrian Petersen says he disciplined his child in the manner that he was raised back in East Texas.
1. Where is the line between what is disciplining and what is abusing your kids?
2. Is it right for the government to tell parents how they can/can't discipline their kids? Why or Why not?
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/13/justice/nfl-vikings-adrian-peterson/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews
Replies
Good job once again. One thing for both stories-be sure to actually hyperlink.
Disciplining is when you're trying to teach your kid wrong from right, and sometimes parents use spanking. If you disciplining is spanking your kid and leaving marks that's not disciplining that is abuse. Yes and no. Parents should know the line of abuse and discipline.
I am a firm believer in the right to discipline children. I have been disciplined myself many times throughout my life, and I am thankful for it. Parents should have that right. However, I must agree that this went over the line. If it result in actually injuries, such as cuts, then I see it as abuse.
I think that the kid would learn his lesson. I think that the authorities should just lay off a little and let someone discipline their kid without getting called for it. If it keeps happening over and over again, then lock him up for abuse but just let parents do what they need to do(with some reason) to take care of their child whether good or bad. Back when our parents were kids, they got spanked or whipped for doing something wrong and they didn't get called for it then so why call it now. Its not like it is being done differently.
Spanking is not abuse, abuse is locking your kid in a closet or burning them with a cigarette. No the government should not get involved with a parent spanking their kid.
Emilio- Haha yes you are right, some kids are turning into brats these days! Some parents are afraid to discipline their children in public, and some are not at all. I agree that the government should have a say.
Megan- I agree, kids should be spanked lightly and put in time out. You are very right, some people may not even know when they are taking disciplining too far!
Lauren- I agree, parents would take it too far without government rules.
Laura- I have to disagree, because like I said before parents would just take it too far without the governments rules of how to discipline their children.
I don't have kids but discipline is grounding or spanking the kid with your hand but abusing would be hitting your child repeatedly with a stick and no i don't think the government should tell them how to treat there child because if they were disciplined that way they would do that to their kids but being hit with a stick is to far.
There is definitely a fine line between discipline and abuse, and "spanking" his kid with a tree branch definitely crosses that line. I think government does have right to step in, because if they didn't, parents would be able to abuse their children and use "discipline" as an excuse for doing it.
There is a line between disciplining and abusing. I think spanking, or sitting in time out is not abusive. Some kids need punishments for their bad behaviors, so they can learn a lesson. Most people don't know the line between disciplining and abusing. Abusing is a very serious thing, some people need to know when they are taking things too far. I think the government should be able to do that, although I think disciplining is necessary is some situations.
I think kids are turning into brats because they are not being disciplined enough. They need to learn you can't do something wrong, and not get punished for it. There is a fine line in being abusive and being corrective tho. And the government should be there to help protect people from abusing their kids, but its hard to judge where and the line is for discipline.
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