Report: AP has been indicted on negligent injury to a child

[253hawk]

i suppose it depends on the severity of the switch impact but Adrian Peterson has like 20 kids, which he spends no time at all with them.

One of them which...recently died from child abuse.

 

[Jville]

Interesting diversity of reactions to the AP story.

I have come to known many living in affluent American communities who get really upset at the sight of welts and broken skin. In contrast, I have also come to known those living and working on the outside who absorb the sight of welts and broken skin in stride.

Sadly, while the AP story was running it's course today, It is the estimated that 17,000 children died from hunger. Tomorrow, there will be another 17,000 children who will die from hunger. Their human tragedy is largely ignored.

 

[mikeak]

Wow

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2014/09/12/ ... t-charges/

 

[TwistedHusky]

There was a report out today that something like 3 in 10 NFL retirees have brain injuries.

Remember that a few former NFL players shared that there were times their families were legit afraid of them.

The NFL is a sport of violent collisions. Violent collisions can cause damage to the brain which can impact abilities to control urges, control emotions, and make effective decisions.

Obviously in a group of people that large, especially ones where violence is cultivated there is going to be abuse. And I am not absolving AP from what is clearly child abuse. He apparently even enjoys it, based on the texts and the fact he has a "whipping room". My question is whether some of these crimes are the result of the impact of all the collisions on the brain to control oneself.

AP is clearly guilty. The question is whether football contributed to that? Even if it didn't the fact that so many athletes come from less than ideal backgrounds means there is a greater risk for that behavior. That the NFL does not do more to limit that risk baffles me.

Clearly if the NFL is a career where one potential side effect is a greater chance of doing abusive or dangerous things....the NFL also has some responsibility to attempt to mitigate that.

However, let's be honest. In reality the only difference in the amount of spousal and child abuse is that we are paying attention to it now. But the #s and some of the stories from ex-NFL players make me wonder if part of the problem is caused by all the collisions themselves (and not even all in the NFL, some from years and years of youth football and school sports).

If I was an agent I would mandate all my clients take regular counseling and anger management classes for just this reason. And I would specifically instruct any player in any situation with a family member involving conflict to remove himself from the situation immediately, it simply would not be worth the potential damage. (Also I would have a mobile app built where anytime a player saw a woman he liked, he could take a picture of her and it would send him a reminder email in 3 days with her picture and the words "There's No Pretty Enough For Crazy" stamped on the picture. Some of the problem in conflict is being involved in the first place with people that invite it.)

Either way, the NFL needs to realize that it needs to do more than just call out terrible behavior - it needs to actively train (just like it trains athletes to play positions or lift heavy weights) athletes in dealing with conflict, emotional control, and proper family and relationship behaviors.

(Additionally NFL players shouldn't be physically disciplining their kids EVER. Because they are in a large risk category for people can lose control, act inappropriately and of course their greater strength means some of their physical actions have greater effect. )

 

[Jville]

I see that nfl.com is reporting that Adrian Peterson has been taken into custody in Texas.

Edit: Now they changed the headline to read "Vikings star is taken into custody and released early Saturday in Montgomery County for reckless or negligent injury to a child."

 

[Thunderhawk]

There is no defending this. Even those, like me, who agree that parents should be able to spank their kids as a rare and last resort will be utterly appalled by the photos and heartbreaking account of this poor child. Peterson should go to prison.

This is far worse than Rice's crime of passion. This is premeditated systematic assault. If Vick got suspended two years for torturing dogs Peterson better get a lot, lot worse.

 

[Seafan]

Spankings hurt but they were over quick. Being grounded or losing fun stuff sucked.

This case sounds like a possible gold digger is involved (you know besides a lawyer). I will withhold judgement. Too bad the Vikings are a bunch of knee jerkers. If this wasn't his kid and he was just visiting and misbehaving than AP should have kicked the kid's parents ass instead.

 

[UK_Seahawk]

A couple of things:

1 - What's a switch? In the UK it's something you use to turn something on / off or maybe increase capacity on a LAN.

2 - Anyone who hits a kid with anything more than an open hand on the back of the legs / buttocks is a coward who has lost control.

What kind of world are we living in where it is OK to use a weapon on a 4 year old child?

 

[Diezel Dawg]

Seriously, the Niners and Panthers need to take a page out of the book of Vikings. But they are both above reproach, and don't want to take the chance off falling too far out of the playoff picture too early in the season

 

[253hawk]

A couple of things:

1 - What's a switch? In the UK it's something you use to turn something on / off or maybe increase capacity on a LAN.

It's a section of light, flexible tree branch. Instead of being rigid, it has some spring in it like a whip. It's more of a southern thing in the US and something I thought was left behind in old literature. Gotta keep those stereotypes rollin' I guess.

The fact that a 6'1", 220 lb. professional athlete needs a weapon to discipline a 4 year old is terrifying.

 

[brimsalabim]

Using bad language was grounds for the switch at my grandparents house but I think I was older than 4 before that would have ever happend. I had to go get the switch and think about the consequence of my actions all the while. It worked pretty well too. After that if I started to act out it was " do we need to cut a switch"? Settled me right down. The switch part is psychological. Now I've never taken a switch to my son but I had to spank him once for running out into the road. I would like to know why this child was being punished? At that young age I would think that it would have had to be to teach him not to do something that could get him killed.

 

[UK_Seahawk]

Now I've never taken a switch to my son but I had to spank him once for running out into the road. I would like to know why this child was being punished? At that young age I would think that it would have had to be to teach him not to do something that could get him killed.

Apparently he pushed his brother away from the video game he was playing so he could play.

Punishment needs to be about context and a open handed slap on the buttocks / legs is as far as I would go and for only exceptional circumstances like running into the road as you describe. I think shock sometimes plays a factor in how you punish.

This was different though, it was pre meditated and grossly over the top. If this had been a dog on the end of this AP would be in jail now. This was a 4 year old child and as far as I can tell the best defence he has is all the people saying "it never did me any harm".

 

[Scottemojo]

Now I've never taken a switch to my son but I had to spank him once for running out into the road. I would like to know why this child was being punished? At that young age I would think that it would have had to be to teach him not to do something that could get him killed.

Apparently he pushed his brother away from the video game he was playing so he could play.

Punishment needs to be about context and a open handed slap on the buttocks / legs is as far as I would go and for only exceptional circumstances like running into the road as you describe. I think shock sometimes plays a factor in how you punish.

This was different though, it was pre meditated and grossly over the top. If this had been a dog on the end of this AP would be in jail now. This was a 4 year old child and as far as I can tell the best defence he has is all the people saying "it never did me any harm".

Yes. People get rather introspective and traditional. I have heard some jacked up humans use the "well, my parents spanked and I turned out fine" . Um, no, no you did not. And if you are fairly well conditioned for society, perhaps it was because you overcame your upbringing, not because it shaped you so well. It is possible to love your parents and simultaneously realize they didn't do great job.

The fall back on how a person was raised is both weak and unprovable.

 

[brimsalabim]

Scott I think part of that notion comes from the assumption that our current crop of particularly narcissistic and disrespectfully disconnected teenagers were all reared by "progressive" parenting. Good parenting is serious business and not for the meek at heart but it is clear that AP went beyond parenting in this case... especially if it is true that this was over a video game.

 

[Scottemojo]

Scott I think part of that notion comes from the assumption that our current crop of particularly narcissistic and disrespectfully disconnected teenagers were all reared by "progressive" parenting. Good parenting is serious business and not for the meek at heart but it is clear that AP went beyond parenting in this case... especially if it is true that this was over a video game.

And a lot of that labeling of "progressive" parenting comes from an older generation that thinks it is being disrespected when people younger than them don't do things the way they did them. My parents do it all the time. Personally, I don't think youth now are particularly obnoxious, at least no more obnoxious than they have ever been. Yeah, they text all the damn time. But they aren't a bunch of goddamm accidental racists either, by and large. My parents generation can't really say that.

Even in this thread, people use how they were raised as their point of reference, then condemn Peterson for what he did. All while Peterson uses how he was raised as his point of reference.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, I have a few "getting beaten" stories, and I deserved it each time.

 

[Scottemojo]

Well, I have a few "getting beaten" stories, and I deserved it each time.

Probably most of us do. Maybe even most deserved discipline that really grabbed the attention. It doesn't mean a different form of discipline would not have worked as well.

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

Let's just say one time I was playing croquet with my cousin and lost so I proceeded to smash the entire croquet set. I was 10 years old at the time and got the willow switch, I deserved it and NOTHING else would have worked trust that because like now I was hard headed and timeouts, words etc meant exactly nothing to me and if I weren't punished in that manner I would still be poor sport and selfish asshat to this day. So I understand Peterson's action even if I don't fully agreed with it.

 

[SeatownJay]

There's a world of difference between 10 and 4. All that 4 year old is learning is that if he makes Daddy mad then Daddy will beat him bloody.

 

[Seahwkgal]

Spankings hurt but they were over quick. Being grounded or losing fun stuff sucked.

Tell me about it. I remember getting busted when I was 16. My sister and I(she is only 20 months younger than myself), decided to sneak out of the house while my parents were working odd shifts. We got caught sneaking back in and there were our parents. Uh, oh..
So, my father has me over his knee with my behind in the position for a butt whoopin and I had to open my big mouth and say, "Dad, don't you think I am a little too old for a spanking?". He stops and says, "You know what? You're right. You're grounded for 6 months." Oh boy, did I ever protest. I missed prom, dances, any extra curricular activity of any kind, and I do mean of any kind. It was like I was in jail. I think it was really the only time I kinda hated my dad. LOL.