Adrian Peterson Child Abuse Case Rekindles Child Discipline Debate
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The child abuse charges surrounding Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson have reignited discussions about child discipline.
Peterson allegedly struck his 4-year-old son multiple times with a switch.
CBS 2's Alice Gainer spoke with parents who weighed in on the topic of appropriate child discipline.
"I don't think it's unnecessary," said one woman.
"No physical anything," said one mother.
"I don't spank them," one dad said.
The majority of parents who spoke with Gainer said they don't spank or hit their kids, but there were some who said it is OK depending upon how far you take it.
"A little pick or something -- you gotta do something at the right time so that you don't have to do it again as time goes by. They learn at a young age. You straighten them out," said one parent.
"It depends on the age of the child obviously," said parent Terri Martini. "You know a slap on the hand no, I mean that's how they learn."
When it comes to what Peterson allegedly did, parents who spoke with Gainer said they couldn't relate.
"Physical violence just seems a little archaic," said one parent. "I think we've come a long way from that."
"To me, that's abuse," said another parent.
While Peterson said his father's physical discipline helped shape him into the success he is today, some experts said getting physical to punish a child is never the answer.
"That just hurts and those wounds last long after the red mark is gone," said Psychiatrist Dr. Harris Straytner.
Dr. Straytner said instead, parents should use positive or negative reinforcement and above all, talk to your kids.
"Removing something, you might even remove driving privileges," he said.
Parents who spoke with Gainer agreed, saying they have their own effective ways of disciplining without spanking or hitting.
"If they're warned about what the consequence is and then they have the choice whether or not they decide to go ahead with naughty or bad behavior. Then I think the main thing is following through with the consequence," said parent Lynn McNab.
"I do 'one, two, three,' and when I get to three they go into timeout and then when they get into timeout they have to apologize," said parent Jillian Ahern.
One thing all parents agreed on, Gainer reported, was that each parent is just trying their best to raise good people.
Dr. Straytner said if your child continues to act out, it's not a bad idea to have the talk to a professional.
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