As far as abuse being sanctioned, just because it happened to you doesn’t make it right, it is a form of privilege to presume you have the right to frighten, scar, or punish someone with violence. Spanking also often causes mental confusion. Why is it okay to spank but not to hit? When i was teaching this was a huge crux of a lot of arguments with the children.

Also the Spanking issue is moot at this point, the risk of there being more than a spanking is too great for these young children, these INNOCENT BABIES to be put in jeopardy.

My (adopted) sister still has scarring from someone “disciplining their children the way they themselves were disciplined as a child.” It’s not “an option.” It is abuse.

We don’t do anyone any favors when legal actors take a hard-line approach that all hitting is abuse, separate parents and children, and charge parents with crimes for disciplining their children in the way that they were disciplined by their own parents.

I respect the opinion that all spanking is violence and that violence against children is not an appropriate discipline tool. But it’s an opinion. One of many. Don’t call people abusers who are doing their best and disciplining their children the way they themselves were disciplined as a child. (I am not suggesting that Renee did so, but more responding to Jen).

I worry about the impact that the “Jen” point of view has on families. Because when social workers and other members of the child welfare/judicial system take that attitude, they start taking children away from loving parents (which, hello, causes a hell of a lot of psychological damage in and of itself) and putting criminal records on adults who are trying to do the best by their kids.

I disagree. Not all spanking with a belt is abuse. It obviously can be abuse, but not every instance of spanking with a belt is abuse.

Wow. I am incredibly disgusted with your comment. Spanking a child is a form of sanctioned abuse. It is abuse. How is it somehow acceptable to hit a child, yet it’s considered an act of violence to hit an adult in any situation? Spanking, with any object, is abuse. Scaring a child, teaching him/her something is punishable with violence or fear is never acceptable.

Janet was there, too — I read somewhere (LA Times, maybe?) that Joe left before she even went onstage at the end, one would guess because at that point he would no longer be the focal point of the show. That man is so unbelievably vile — I can’t believe anyone thinks it’s okay to let him have anything to do with any children, ever.

I disagree. Not all spanking with a belt is abuse. It obviously can be abuse, but not every instance of spanking with a belt is abuse.

as any social worker with experience in child protection and you’re gonna get a pretty grim picture painted for you.

please someone make sure those children are safe because Katherine cannot do it.

As a criminal defense lawyer I see a lot of parents in court who were subjected to abuse as children, and no one stood up to protect them. They are now being held criminally responsible for punishing their children as they were punished.

None of this takes issue with denying custody of Michael’s children to his abusive father. Or that Joe Jackson was obsessed with profit to his children’s detriment. I just don’t think that profit was necessarily the primary reason that others close enough to the Jackson family to know what was going on didn’t say anything/intervene. And Kathryn in particular might act differently in today’s environment than she did before (in terms of protecting the children from violence).

Custody is a term reserved from biological parents. Meanwhile, any adult can become a guardian.