Friday, September 19, 2014

Adrian Peterson Charged With Child Abuse in Disciplining Incident

© 2014 The Wired Word
www.thewiredword.com

Last Saturday, Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson turned himself in to authorities in Montgomery, Texas, after being charged with child abuse in the disciplining of his 4-year-old son. Peterson was released after posting $15,000 bail.
The charges come from an incident in May of this year when Peterson used a small tree branch, commonly called a switch, to punish the child after the boy pushed another of Peterson's children while they were playing a video game. The punishment, which Peterson called a "whupping," left cuts and bruises on several areas of the child's body.
In explaining the charge, an assistant district attorney for Montgomery County said that while parents are entitled to discipline their children, the grand jury decided what Peterson did "was not reasonable and did not reflect community standards of what was reasonable discipline." The official also said that Peterson could face up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

The report on the incident indicates that the boy received cuts and bruises on his back, buttocks, ankles, legs and scrotum, as well as defensive wounds on his hands. The report also says that Peterson texted the boy's mother and acknowledged what he had done and that she would be mad at him about the child's leg. "I got kinda good wit the tail end of the switch," Peterson's text said.
Peterson further texted the child's mother that he "felt bad after the fact when I notice the switch was wrapping around hitting I [sic] thigh. ... Got him in nuts once I noticed. But I felt so bad, n I'm all tearing that butt up when needed! I start putting them in timeout. N save the whooping for needed memories!"
The child's mother later took him to an already scheduled doctor visit, and the physician reported the injuries to police, saying they were consistent with child abuse.
In further text messages, Peterson allegedly said, "Never do I go overboard! But all my kids will know, hey daddy has the biggie heart but don't play no games when it comes to acting right."
In an interview with police, Peterson reportedly indicated that he believes his action was discipline, not abuse. He told police, "Anytime I spank my kids, I talk to them before, let them know what they did, and of course after." He acknowledged that the beating was administered directly to the child's skin and with the child's pants pulled down. He estimated that he struck the boy 10-15 times, but said he didn't count the blows.
Peterson expressed regret that his son did not cry, because then, he said, he would have realized that the switch was doing more damage than intended. He didn't know, he said, that the "tip of the switch and the ridges of the switch were wrapping around [the child's] legs."
The NFL star later posted comments about the incident on his Twitter feed. He wrote, "I want everyone to understand how sorry I feel about the hurt I have brought to my child." He also said that he was using a discipline method that was used on him as a child, and that such discipline helped him. "I have always believed I could have been one of those kids that was lost in the streets without the discipline instilled in me by my parents and other relatives," he said. "I have always believed that the way my parents disciplined me has a great deal to do with the success I have enjoyed as a man. I love my son and I will continue to become a better parent and learn from any mistakes I ever make."
He concluded by saying that while he isn't the perfect parent, he is not a child abuser. "My goal is always to teach my son right from wrong and that's what I tried to do that day," he wrote. "I accept the fact that people feel very strongly about this issue and what they think about my conduct. Regardless of what others think, however, I love my son very much and I will continue to try to become a better father and person."
While Peterson's remarks seem to indicate that he sees value in the type, if not the degree, of discipline he administered to his son, not everyone who grew up with physical discipline agrees. Commenting on the charges against Peterson, NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter said, "People with any type of Christian background, they really believe in disciplining their children." Then, indicating that his mom used some form of corporal discipline on him, Carter added, "My mom did the best job she could do. Raising seven kids by herself. But there are thousands of things that I have learned since then that my mom was wrong. It's the 21st century. My mom was wrong. She did the best she could, but she was wrong about some of that stuff she taught me. And I promise my kids I won't teach that mess to them."
Following the charges, Peterson was kept out of last Sunday's game against the New England Patriots. However, as more information about the case came out, and after talking with Peterson, the team returned him to the active roster. That all changed again on Wednesday, when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell put Peterson on the exempt list until his legal issues are resolved.
Wikipedia, citing interviews with Peterson by Black Christian News Network One and The 700 Club, described Peterson as a Christian and said, "Peterson has spoken about his faith in his life saying, 'Jesus Christ means the world to me. I've been through so many different situations through my childhood and now my adulthood ... God just helped me get through them and made me stronger at a young age. [Through] all the adversity and hard times I've been through, God has always been present. I've always prayed to Him and asked Him to give me the strength to endure and to help others and to better understand whatever situation I deal with in my personal life. And He has always showed up! It brings hope and peace of mind knowing that God gave His only begotten Son for us.'"
More on this story can be found at these links:
The Big Questions
1. What reasons have you heard or used to justify corporal punishment of children? Which, if any, of those reasons do you consider valid?
2. How were you disciplined as a child? How do you feel about that discipline now? Do you think you would have turned out differently if another form of discipline had been used instead? Have you followed the same practices with kids in your care? Why or why not?
3. In dealing with children, how do we know when we have crossed the line between discipline and abuse? Justice Stewart Potter once opined, regarding hard-core pornography, that although he couldn't define it, "I know it when I see it." How might this rule apply to a discussion of the difference between child discipline and child abuse?
4. To what degree is "learned behavior" an acceptable reason for carrying on disciplinary practices you grew up with? Why might you want to use different disciplinary practices?
5. What role does your commitment to Christ play in how you discipline your children (or, if they are now grown, how you disciplined them when they were young)?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Proverbs 13:24
Those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are diligent to discipline them. (No context need.)
Proverbs 22:15 
Folly is bound up in the heart of a boy, but the rod of discipline drives it far away. (No context needed.)
Proverbs 23:13-14
Do not withhold discipline from your children; if you beat them with a rod, they will not die. If you beat them with the rod, you will save their lives from Sheol. (No context needed.)
Proverbs 29:15
The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by a neglected child. (No context needed.)
Proverbs 29:17
Discipline your children, and they will give you rest; they will give delight to your heart. (No context needed.)
These verses come from an ancient Near Eastern culture that viewed physical discipline as a means to keep older children, fools and wrongdoers from destructive paths (see, for example, Deuteronomy 25:1-3, where wrongdoers are to be flogged). In ancient Egypt, the word for "education" was accompanied by the hieroglyph of a striking man or arm.
Western societies don't use flogging today for adult wrongdoers, but we have not, as a society, abandoned spanking for children.
The goal of the verses from Proverbs is to instruct children in the proper ways. The Hebrew word translated above as "discipline" also means "correction," "instruction" and "reproof." TWW team member James Berger points out that to read these verses as justification for the brutal beating of a child is "a perverse reading of the Bible's intent." However, not all spanking is a brutal beating.
Note that Proverbs 29:17 affirms the importance of discipline, without specifying that it has to be in the form of a "rod."
Questions: How do you interpret the collection of proverbs above in relation to the use of a rod in parenting children? Does Proverbs 29:15 seem to suggest that spanking is preferable to neglecting a child? When religious principles or biblical interpretations are used to sanction abuse of children (and/or adults), does that mean the principles are wrong or that the interpretations are mistaken? Explain your answer.
One essential element of Hebrew wisdom is that one interacts with, or even wrestles with, the text. One may even disagree with the text. What is your response to the guidance in these verse? Is this something you wrestle with, agree with or disagree with? Why?
Ephesians 6:4
And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (For context, read 6:1-4.)
This verse presents the view that the family unit should be a primary medium through which moral and religious values are passed on to the next generation. Here, "discipline" translates a Greek word that means not only "correction," but also "tutelage" and "training." Thus, the word means setting out the boundaries for proper living, and it links with another word in the verse, "instruction."
On the other hand, children like to push boundaries. Any sort of boundary-setting can cause them to get angry, so something else must be meant by "provoke." The New International Version uses the word "exasperate" for "provoke ... to anger," while the God's Word translation has "don't make your children bitter about life."
Questions: What different ways do you employ to help the children you influence to learn where the boundaries of proper living are? Which means seem to be most effective? What ways have been ineffective? Do different children require different disciplinary methods? Discuss your answer and the reasons behind it. Whom do/did you consult for advice about disciplining children?
Ecclesiastes 3:7
... a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. (For context, read 3:1-8.)
The well-known passage from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reminds us that many actions that are appropriate in one situation are not appropriate in another. In many contexts, as the verse above indicates, holding one's tongue is exactly the right thing to do. But, again, as the verse indicates, there are other contexts in which staying silent is wrong.
One such time silence is wrong is when we suspect that a child is being abused.
Questions: What should we do when we think a child might be being abused but when the evidence is not clear? Who would/should you consult with if you have suspicions but no real knowledge or proof? How can we distinguish actual abuse from disciplining methods that we simply don't like?
1 Thessalonians 2:11-12
As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God ... (For context, read 2:1-12.)
Paul is here referring to how he and his coworkers behaved when in Thessalonica sharing the gospel with people there. He compares their behavior to that of a good father, who encourages his children to "lead a life worthy of God."
Questions: If encouraging children to lead a worthy life is a goal of parenting, how encouraging are the disciplinary methods you use (or did use)?
Peterson said his intent was only to discipline his child. Should good intent be taken into account if a child is punished beyond what most people would consider reasonable?
For Further Discussion
1. Which of the following would you label as child abuse, and why?
          Burning a child with a lit cigarette
          Spanking a child for bullying another child
          Putting a child in a closet without food and water for several days
          Sending a child to bed with only bread and water for supper as a punishment for willful misbehavior
2. Given the many influences on children today from outside the home, what are the best ways to teach children good values and morals?
3. What advice does your church give regarding parent-child relationships? Have you heard any sermons about how to raise children? What limits do you maintain?
4. Is nonviolence a worthy goal in which to instruct your children? If so, what instructional means are you using to reach that goal with them?
5. What does your church do to ensure the safety of its children? Of children in your community? Of children around the world?
6. Comment on this: Psychiatrist and author Karl Menninger wrote, "What is done to children, they will do to society."
Responding to the News
This is a good time to discuss in church how to respond if you suspect a child is being abused, and how to respond in ways that don't put the child in a more vulnerable position.
Closing Prayer
Help us, O Lord, when it is necessary to discipline our children, to avoid abuse in any form. Likewise, may all our dealings with those in our household be respectful and loving. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)