The stepfather is a sorry son-of-a-bitch. Should not be allowed to be around that boy anymore.

Makes me wonder, does this kids mother know what this guy is doing to his kid? It never ceases to amaze me to think these guys make wonderful parents.

FELONY child abuse? Give me a break! While he certainly should not have hit the child for not catching the ball, the sole act of hitting him with the belt does not warrent a FELONY conviction. Felony convictions usually require at least two years in prison and should be reserved for real child abuse, such as burning a child or starving a child, but hitting with a belt?!? Puh-leaze... What a society we live in.

yes indeed, what a society we live in when someone like you decides he didn't hurt the little boy (not even his own) enough to warrant a felony.

if he was doing this to the boy in the back yard, do ya think maybe he might be doing worse in the house?

his mother is just as guilty as the step father. it's her job to know what is going on and to have good communication with her son. most especially in a step family situation. where was she? and why is she allowing this kind of behavior? i can say that being a mom and re-married.

chances are, this was not the first time, nor will it be the last.

being a public official this man should know the law better than anyone and know and understand that he is held to a higher standard.

the consequences for this man should be numerous and involve more than just jail.

j70141 do think that's the first time? So what if he gets exactly the advertised punishment? I really hope it's not another case of a lonely mother hanging around for a paycheck.

I am not asking this to stir up debate on spanking I just want to know what is legal and what isn't so I can use that information on my family.

I come from a sick--creepy family, who are all upstanding , well respected citizens but believe in "spare the rod--spoil the child" All of us were hit with spatulas, spoons, tree switches, belts....is that all illegal? HOwever, it is legal to smack a childs rear end with an open hand though?

I don't spank my children because of the abuse I went through plus now I am a very large athletic 35 year old . I have threatened my family that anything they attempt on my child will be doled out on them. So my mom and dad would never dare hit my kids because I will do turn around and spank them ( yes even though they are 60 years old) I went to a family reunion and it amazes me what bad parents my hick cousins are---they are still spanking with switches and spatulas. It would be nice to tell them what they are doing is illegal.

I'm from California, and my Dad used to beat me with a belt for punishment. He is not a criminal, nor is he a hick or a hillbilly. He was a guy trying to raise his daughters right. Even though I didn't like the belt at that time, I was not traumatized by it. I love my Dad and appreciate the fact that he was around for me and wanted me to grow up and be a disciplined woman rather than an out of control, disrespectful little brat of a girl.

Kid should catch the ball next time. That will teach him!

It's common for non-biologically related parental figures to be abusive to the children who are not their own. In police and courts it is commonly referred to as the "cinderella" syndrome. A child is 50 times more likely to be abused by the research of the Australian government.

What kind of decision making process was going through this guy's mind? I can (almost) understand a father being so upset to consider using a belt, but to be walking around with it, threatening his frightened child with it, and then using it repeatedly ... over a game of catch? Absolutely amazing. You would think a parent would never want his or her child to feel such terror - let alone be the cause of it.

I come from the time when parents spanked their kids. I have no problem when kids need a good swift swat across the backside, with a firm hand, if just to get their attention so they can understand what it is they aren't supposed to be doing. But hitting with a belt, or anything other than an open hand (and briefly here) is wrong, even in a family where spanking is condoned. The man in question needs jail. The family that is defending this man needs counseling and then jail. The child needs a new home.

Can't stand to see a grown man hit a little kid, or get cussed out for something and not even know what he did. MTB

Some commenter's are unreal, those of you agreeing with the belt whipping, do you understand that this boy simply didn't catch the ball? He didn't steal, didn't do drugs, didn't beat on his little sibling or any such "crime". HE DIDN'T CATCH THE BALL ! Who in their right mind goes out to play catch with their kid and ends up whipping them because they don't show the athleticism the grown-up wants to see in them?

What a coward. If needed, kids can be disciplined effectively without use of physical force, but not catching a ball is hardly an offense. And where was the mother? No doubt this is not the first time, and I cannot believe she didn't know what was going on. Possibly the guy hits her too on occasion. The abuser needs jail and counseling and the mother needs some serious counseling too. Abused kids become abusing adults and so the cycle continues.

The grandfather is just as bad as the dad...seriously he's defending the dad beating the son because the son is a problem child? The entire family is a problem family, remove the kid child services.

Yes, it is a felony, just as it would be if the victim was an adult. It's about time we started recognizing these acts as assaults, all the more heinous because the injured party is physically helpless or overmatched and legally and financially dependent on the perpetrator. Wish there wasn't a statute of limitations so I could have my dad arrested. This is America, children are not slaves

This man had NO BUSINESS USING A BELT ON HIM PERIOD!! Why are some people are saying it's ok,it is not ok!!The boy dropped a ball,so can you imagine what he does when the boy is bad or gets bad grades/then everyone wants to know if mom knows well of course he does with that temper and he would have marks on his body.This man does not belong in office ever again.yes he should serve time,and be charge with a felony.A kid can be killed by a belt if he lose control so to me that bodily harm or whatever it's called.I would love to see men use a belt on him in prison,get a taste of what your son felt.One more thing he should be charge even more cause it's not his kid.If the dad is around I hope he goes after his a..!!I am sure the mom & kid still there,and if so that is so mess up.The kid life is ruin,another kid that might turn to drugs or crimes.Today all his friends know so his life is never going to be the same with everyone whispering behind his back.Bless this poor kid,I pray that he will be safe and he will lead a good life.I just wanted to express my feelings on this.Don't care if anyone agrees with me,but i am right!! So any parents who is reading this,if you are hurting your kid,please stop and get help,nobody deserves it!!!!

grmasissa

You are one of the very few who see the problem. I do wish my Dad was well enough when I was a child to play catch with me. I doubt he would have ever struck me for not catching the ball. We play catch to teach our childern how to catch. I fear that this child may not see very well, if he has problems catching a ball. You aren't going to correct this with a spanking.

He is also creating an adversarial problem with this kid. and teaching him not to love playing a sport, this sort of punishment teaches him to avoid situations that will bring him pain and punishment, when it is supposed to be a fun thing.

Now the man himself is a psychological train wreck. Perhaps every time he doesn't do everything absolutely right, he should be punished by some type of corporal punishment. What we see in public is only the tip of an iceberg of abuse, which of course his wife may also be on the receiving end. Blame only the offender not the casualties along the way.

Bad but certainly not a felony.

Abuse is abuse. Period. A grown man has no right to enter into a physical altercation with a child. Further, as far as discipline goes, an adult ought not to discipline during anger. This is abuse. Child abuse is not acceptable!

The video shows the two playing ball in the yard. The man beats the kid with an object. The man was angry with the kid and took his daily frustrations out on the kid. The kid did not provoke the attack, i.e. run at the guy or swing his fists. The two were not participating in fight training, i.e. karate, boxing, or wrestling. (Even if they were, it would not warrant an adult beating up a child).

I have raised four unrelated children. When we played in the yard (baseball, soccer, volleyball, etc.), they dropped the ball on a regular basis. It is called practice and just a game. After a while, they improved their game skills. There is absolutely no need to hit, belittle, or even raise your voice to a kid while playing a game. The role of a responsible and caring adult is to mentor, inspire, and help the kids - not hurt them.

The article fails to mention the boy is autistic.

The stepfather is clearly exhibiting signs of sadism, not love and compassion and the boy needs to be removed from that home, including from the mother who stays in the marriage and allows it to go on.

Being from that area and aware of the County politics, the stepfather will walk away from any consequences and the boy will be trapped until he's able to escape on his own.

And we all wonder how this world got so bad...

While I did not punish my kids like that and don't really approve, if that's felony child abuse my parents would have been put against a wall and shot. Things have really change allot when it comes to kids, discipline and our society in the past 60 years . Only time will tell if it's been for the better or worse.

YOU CANNOT CURE ADD OR ADHD WITH A BELT! This man is looking for an excuse to take his frustrations out on this child...... Mr. step-parent better think...this child will not always be small enough for him to hit, and may turn around and start hitting back when he gets big enough. The child's mother needs to get off her dead a$$ and watch what is going on. She is his parent and needs to teach him right from wrong, that is HER job. If she is not capable of raising her child perhaps she should send him to his father.

I dearly love my husband but if had ever treated my son like this...... he would have known he better run and keep running, because I would have taken his belt and beat him black and blue.

Tina, the problem is you are imagining what the father does at home. Sounds like you decide things with your imagination instead of the known actions. Time to return to earth.

This does not belong in criminal court. Family court and some parenting lessons maybe but there is nothing wrong with swatting a kid to adjust their behaviour but not because they did not catch a ball. My folks swatted me, while a friend of mines mother used the go to your room stuff. I got swatted and knew I did wrong and went back to playing, he went to his room and brooded. I am fine, he has several failed marriages,businesses, and never goes to see his Mom. Who was traumatized? Not swatting kids is one reason(easy divorce is another) so many act up in school, public places and at home. More maladjusted kids now than when I was a kid as evidenced by the ever growing incidence of juvenile crime.

Years ago I used to coach Little League Baseball. The kids were wonderful and were happy and content to just be learning and socializing and picking up new skills. The parents, on the other hand, were not so wonderful. I have seen kids thrashed for fielding errors and striking out. The only thing I could do was to keep parents out of the "dugout" area (usually just am outlined area with a bench.) But often this only seemed to make it worse as it caused parents to stew until the game was over and they could get their hands or belts on the kid.

Parents beat children for exactly two, and two only reasons. The first is fear. It is very common when a child has a close brush with death or injury (such as narrowly being missed by a car) and even it it is not the child's fault, the parent will spank the child as some sort atavistic response. That, I can forgive.

But most spankings and other corporal punishments stem from a) the parent's inability to deal with the child in any other way, b) a parent's wish to live their life through their child and the child failing their expectations. (A father who was a dud in high school football who hasan overweaning desire for his child to play football.) c) lack of self-confidence or self-esteem where spanking a child makes the person feel "bigger." d) meanness and hatred e) misplaced religious nonsense f) a perception that spanking is quick and easy where dealing with it rationally is time-consuming and difficult. These, and other similar reasons I cannot forgive.

Corporal punishment is not something that works. And parents who use corporal punishment know that in their hearts. And to do it because a stepson failed to catch a ball is even worse. This is a good shortcut to making sure that the son never enjoys sports. My personal opinion ios that when someone does something like this openly, that punishment should be conditioned to match the severity. I think that we have a lot of roadsides that need to be picked clean of litter for, say 800 hours. Then if the community service is completed without fail and there are no further incidents according to the victim, then the judge should have the option of expunging the conviction.

@Milgram's experiment and any other victim of child abuse who doesn't know better: no, your parents did not in fact teach your right from wrong if you think that using violence is a correct, let alone acceptable, way of adjusting anyone's behaviour. Personal success is not a measure of how good a person you are.

Chris 749391: g) the parent feels the child is making him/her look bad in public.

Also besides misplaced corporal punishment there is verbal abuse, and the effect is longer lasting.

If this stepdad was to beat another grown man he WOULD go to jail for a felony assault........why should it be any different if the victim is a child...a defenseless child at that?

Just a note........my father would do the same thing to me and my brother when we were growing up...and it was all the time...it was the only form of punishment..oh yeah, there was slapping faces till we fell down, stabbing our hands with forks if we dared to touch our food at the table before he gave us permission. When Dad got home from work he would take the barber razor strap he kept on the top of fridge and double it and snap it........we had to each in our turn bend over a chair or grab our ankles for the beating to come....he also beat our Mom as it pleased him.

Funny thing is everyone loved my Dad, they all thought he was this great guy...............

after viewing the video it is my belief that this stepfather beats this boy regularly just like my Dad did us...........not even needing a reason. Children should have the same rights as an adult and the state should step in and make sure they do.........this stepdad needs to be punished..his behavior is indefensible. It wasn't till my parents were divorced and I was 13 and my fully grown size that I finally told my Dad he better never hit anyone again (and a few other choice things)...my stepdad offered to be mine and my siblings champion...he said if my Dad ever raised a hand to any of us again he would deal with Dad.

ADHD can be rough, true.............but that simply brings into fact that this behavior is not the child's doing, he does not have control of his behavior, he is not at fault. The step parent on the other hand is exhibiting his own controllable behavior...and choosing not to control it. If this guy was my husband he'd be in jail. Makes you wonder what he does to the other child in the house.

Take responsibility for your behavior stepdad.............you need punishment...you need to learn to deal with ADHD in a more civilized manner....you are the one with all the options here, not the child...you are the one with the responsibility of HELPING the child. Hitting never helps......like kids with ADHD don't have enough to deal with your stepson had to deal with you too. Your wife (maybe the wife suffers the same punishments) is willing to put up with this so you stay with them and keep that paycheck coming in.........I hope you both get what you deserve........what goes around comes around.

Just a note...the child is autistic, not ADHD, which makes it even worse.

I don't have any idea how that guy could possibly belt a child like that for missing a ball! If the kid picked up his gun or something, a whipping maybe, but not with a belt over and over and over. They say the video is longer? They are using that to say that it isn't as bad as it looks, but to me, that means the child could have been hit even more times, and we just didn't see how many.

I do have to say I don't believe in the sweet little "time outs" and "oh, it's okay if little Johnny cusses me, he's just a child" kind of punishment for doing something really wrong. A swift hand on butt doesn't hurt a child, but certainly gets their attention. (and no, I didn't come from an abusive home. But I'm not oblivious to reality either.)
There ARE some things worthy of punishment, but not a beating. And that's what this "father" was doing. If the child has special needs, this beating is not one of them.

I am sorry to say, that if this man gets off, the neighbor is going to be in for a hard time, if not a fight...and that's one reason people DON'T get involved when they should; the fear of repercussions.

Very sad indeed.

So Debi...I just read your post above mine. So you think because the child is autistic, a beating is going to help him? Is that now a form of medicinal therapy? *bangs head on desk*
Please. The fact that the child is autistic, is irrelevant. The child should not have been beaten!

Conway Twitter: Please review my post at: #1.22 - Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:18 AM PDT

Also, I stated being autistic, rather than ADHD, makes it (the beatings) even worse. Don't know how you read into my statement anything else.

If it were 2 "adult" men playing catch, would you think it alright for man to hit another with a belt because he dropped a ball?

Sorry, Debi.

Just a note...the child is autistic, not ADHD, which makes it even worse.

I misread your statement as meaning because it was autism, that the child's behavior was worse, thereby deserving the punishment. My apologies.

Thanks ConwayTwitter. Btw, the accused has since resigned his position as Board Director.

Considering the attitude of the family members (the maternal grandparents, mother, step father) and their position that what occurred was acceptable, I'm very concerned for the boy's fate even if the step father is found guilty and jailed. The odds are definitely stacked against him.

It seems to me that the grandfather is trying to convince himself of how much he loves the little boy. If a child needs a spanking give him one and get it over with. Don't continue on and on to spank him.

I believe children need spankings at times. Goodness catching ball with a child should be fun. If the child begins to mouth off then stop the "fun" and give the child a spanking and send him to his room for a time.

So, you think only certain people should get representation before a court? Only the "right" kind of crimes should be defended? Why don't we just throw out the entire judicial system and go back to vendettas? Geesh... think before you shoot off your mouth. Lawyers aren't the problem. The problem is venality of humans. If people were all honest and kind, we wouldn't need lawyers.

What kills me is everyones assumption that this poor excuse of a man is hitting this child with a belt. RUBBER HOSE PEOPLE. Can break bones yet leaves no bruises. No one who has watched the video can convince me of anything else. The force of those blows with a belt caused me to wear tights on hot summer days so no one would see the welts on my legs. When my Mom complained my Dad used a rubber hose so there would be no marks. I didn't make my sisiters bed.

@Kelson,

I agree to a point. Every defendant, no matter how solid the evidence against him, is entitled to a vigorous defense in court. But when a lawyer does press conferences, there is no legal indication that the client is helped, and the probable intention is that the lawyer is seeking free advertising. Defending the client does not make the lawyer a scumbag. But using the incident to get your face on TV for free certainly does.

Chris, quite simply, lawyers do press conferneces to help seed doubt in the jury pool. There are other allied reasons. It's the same reason the police and DA call press conferences and leak evidence. Whether you like it or not, many jurors come to the jury box with preconceived notions of the case - luckily many jurors take their duty serious enough to set aside their prejudices.

tony, i don't get your comment, could you re phrase that ?

Syria Tony? Are you serious? Here. Here in your neighborhood. Charity begins at home. You should be ashamed.

Mother already kicked the biological father out of the house. Now, StepDad #4 and MrRightThere #7 are expected to play a game of catch with her boy in return for sex. Surely, SingleMom is a catch and will be able to net another gentleman right away.

I think this Mom is more about the Money and less about good Parenting!!

And this video makes you want to get in your car and go beat the crap out of this guy!!!

The use of a belt for corporal punishment is usually rather minor- unless the parent goes overboard or is using it to punish for something ridiculous like this guy. Like anything, it must be applied with some common sense, something this douchebag obviously lacks. In cases like this, it IS abuse.

Ines, NO child should be "beaten", but the use of a belt for deserved punishment on a fractious child is OK within reason. Before my mother remarried she worked and was raising 4 boys on her own. She had her hands full riding herd on us. When we were too big for a bare bottom spanking she switched to a belt- a thick black leather one that provided more scare than hurt. Before that belt ever came out we had heard a "Stop! Or else!" warning at least a couple of times. There was never any permanent damage though we could all show a welt now and then. Sure, we often resented it, but her punishments established a definite connection between our misbehavior and the pain of punishment. I daresay that if more kids had that connection in their heads today we might have a lot fewer behavior problems.

As for this guy- he's a total a55hole. Hitting a kid for not catching a damned ball is wrong and he had NO excuse for his behavior. I hope they throw the book at him.

"NO child should be "beaten", but the use of a belt for deserved punishment on a fractious child is OK within reason"

Uh...no. It's the sign of a weak minded and violent individual who is incapable of normal interaction and has no parenting skills. I love that you put "beaten" in quotes as if you're implying that an adult hitting a small child with a leather belt doesn't count as beating. Get help.

TraceyS. Sorry, but you are wrong. You're not describing my mother/father or hundreds of thousands of other mothers/fathers who have used a belt to discipline their unruly children.

Thanks, Mom/Dad. I needed it - and it worked.

My parents never would have been abusive like this. You don't abuse someone you love.

I'm in Unregistered court.... even though the "Beat to Perform" is vastly different than the "Beat to Punish".... Performance has it own punishment and reward. Sense of failure/accomplishment, but when you do something wrong (depending the circumstance/severity) their need to be consequences. Many may feel different about corporal punishment... But I raised 4 Kids and fosters... I believe in corporal punishment , but it must be doled out carefully and it is always after the 2nd or 3rd admonishment. What I found is that parents who don't spank... the children may turn out ok but their adult hood and subsequent Child rearing is suspect. You can over punish corporaly but you can under punish (regardless of style) to the point where they are spoiled.

"To raise bad children all you have to do... is do nothing" -ed

On a side note:.... If the guy in the article gets a pass on this... then every one on this forum should jump on every Lib in the Creflo Dollar story and rebuke them... many of you should show some of the same levity many of you have shown this man in the above article:

Creflo's alleged child abuse?

My parents never laid a hand on me (and certainly as a pre-teen and teen I was a handful) and I grew up just fine. Never beat my own kids either and they are successful, well-balanced, caring individuals. Beating your kids into submission or obedience is cowardly and uncivilized and will teach the child that violence is the way to resolve conflict. The guy deserves jail and the mother needs some serious counseling (by now the child probably too).

NEIGHBOR Lopez did NOT call police or Child Protective Services. Lopez put the video on You Tube where the Police found it. Almost as bad as the creature with the rubber hose.

Mr. Lopez likely put it on You Tube to ensure that the video did not go 'missing'. This was a wise decision prior to calling authorities and protective services. The man in the video is an elected official.

@g0ne4n0w: Oh, yes, that is EXACTLY what YOUR parents and the thousands other parents child abusers out there are - lazy, weal, ignorant,violent individuals. You and so many others exhibit the typical trait of victims of abuse - you were taught and brainwashed into believing that you deserved what was done to you and there was no other way to "discipline" you. Get help. You may not believe it, but you do need that. DESPERATELY SO.

It makes me sick to think that people think it is ok to use a belt on children. A belt was never used on me growing up. My mother had been raised in an abusive home and made sure to walk away when angry because she knew she would turn abusive. People seem to think corporal punishment is the only way to discipline your children. It's not. You can successfully raise your children with never laying a hand on them.

Also, your children should not fear you. My mother tried to argue that instilling fear in a child was good- that screaming at a child was ok, but physically harming them was not. She was sorry to learn that the reason my older sister and I left and moved away was due to the emotional scarring she inflicted upon us when she screamed and berated us for doing something wrong. When you hit your child or when you make them fear you, that is not a healthy relationship. Making them hate the punishment- for me that was grounding me from TV since I had favorite shows- is the way to go but making them hate and fear you will cause issues.

I cannot comprehend how anyone can think it is ok for a grown adult to whip or hit a child. The adult is in charge. The parent can take away everything and anything in the child's room. You have to feed and clothe them, but that's about as far as it goes. You don't have to give them cellphones or internet or TV. If you show that you will dole out consequences, the child will respect you. It is the parents who lack parenting skills or who don't have the patience to actually use non-corporal punsihsment- since a child may try to get out of the punishment- who resort to verbal and physical abuse. If you don't want your children to scream or hit then don't do it to them.

Let me just say that I behaved not because I respected my parents nor cared about being hit (we were spanked up until about the age of 12, then just screamed at) or yelled at, since that would just anger me more, but because I cared about what my teachers and what others thought of me. As soon as I was 18, I left. I did not come back for 6 years. It took me that long to work out how I felt about my parents. I love my mother, but told her flatly how she had hurt us, her children. It has taken a long time to work through this.

This guy that would beat a child for dropping a ball is an abuser but so is anyone who would purposely harm a child for breaking a rule. You're going to beat your child because s/he missed curfew or got failing grades? Really? Parenting classes should be required for everyone before a child is born because apparently there are still people out there who would defend physically harming a child to "make a point." So disgusted by all of this.

Hitting your children as a way to resolve conflict or discipline is the reason we have to much violence in the world today. It's just a repeat of what they learned.

Adults grow up thinking their parents did it to them, so it's perfectly acceptable to do it to others.

@Erin... I do not totally disagree and understand your stance however I think it is short sighted "lump" any one who views (myself include) corporal punishment as "weak" or "cowardly". All children have a "personality" and it does differ as to how you will guide him/her. A well placed, timely spanking can be as effective as a "time out" or restriction. It is also worthy of note that a spanking or a time out will not always work and as a parent you have to be creative and know your child.

The "fosters" I raised came from abusive background so "spankings" tend not to work.. But a child who is a "hitter" often times (I've experience this and it is surprising) were never spanked and had no fear of adults... growing "OK" but having a Haughty, superior, attitude. They may be successful but these (spank-less) children seem to carry themselves not so good ways. The reason why their is a "fear" of fire is not because it's "hot" it because of the Pain associated with it... that is a fact of human nature. You can't "educate Respect" of fire without the 'burn'

Before I get blasted on this thread... I'm not advocating children "beat down" (especially the guy in the article I believe is wrong) I'm just saying Fear does not necessarily begat respect but respect almost always has a element of "fear of consequences"

Hitting your children as a way to resolve conflict or discipline is the reason we have to much violence in the world today. It's just a repeat of what they learned

Wrong. The reason we have so much violence and the world is pretty much a crappy place right now is because so many people have so little RESPECT for one another. Manners? WTF are those? Why follow the golden rule unless someone "deserves" for me to follow the golden rule, right?

Agreed completely, and he should definitely go through some anger management. However, I doubt this deserves a FELONY conviction. I think a misdemeanor with probation should suffice.

"Though I've never used a belt, I wouldn't condemn anyone who uses it properly for disciplinary purposes."

The rest of us would. Adults beating small children with a belt are pathetic, violent losers who deserve felony convictions.

I have a friend who is a social worker and she has found that every bully she has dealt with had never had any type of corporal punishment. hhhmmmmm

Whitegem1 - I have a friend who the grandmaster of all social workers, president of the moon and master of the universe. And they said that they have found that every bully ever made was created due to the physically bullying of corporal punishment on themself.

Don't spout out some "i know someone who says" garbage without backing it up with some actual real, verifiable evidence. ANyone can make up a friend who says such and such, and for all you know that friend may be full of @!$%# and making up things to support their own belief system.

I for, happened to know a metric ton of bullies growing up, and went through phases of being one myself at times. Every one of them in my part of the country was spanked just like damn near every other kid at the time. I knew many of them personally and witnessed the spanking with my own eyes. And you better believe i was spanked by belts, spoons, hands, and every other spanking tool on hand. So how does that work for your "friend" the social worker?

How's that for throwing unverifiable bull@!$%# into the wind, Whitegem1?

The fact remains, if you had a case where another adult spouted off to this guy and he took his belt and felt that was the appropriate way to manage the siutation, by physical violence, there would be assault charges. Subsititute the kid for any animal, an older person, and tell me how appropriate it looks?

I guess in your case being beaten did make a bully, because you still are one.

In my elementary school the phys ed teacher would slug you in the stomach for dropping a pass or a fly ball. Several times I had the wind knocked out of me as I was not athletic as a 4th grader. Made me afraid of athletics, luckily by high school I´d gained a lot of physical coordination and played football. This teacher was very highly thought of, especially by the parents of athletic children. These days he´d be in prison. This was in Miami Shores back in the 60s.

Principal beat me with a paddle once. My Father marched me back to school and took the paddle off the wall and told the Principle to bend over. Chased him around the desk until the Police arrived. My Dad told him "no one beats my children but me." Seattle Washington 1964 I was an 8 yr old girl. Can't imagine what I did to "deserve it"

Thankful that I did not grow up in the '60's. What a violent culture.

It's only been 50 years - trust me, we're still animals. That phys ed teacher, wow, he must have been huge to think he wasn't going to get laid out by an angry mob of students.

Me too! When the belt came off I made myself scarce. Discipline like that does not work. I became a rebellious teen, moved out and finished high school on my own. I did learn from it though. My boys did not suffer the abuse I did.

Yeah, we had to pull down our pants and bend over to be spanked by a leather belt. This happened up to early teens. Tough love my a$$. Literally. The same parents refused to take us to the doctor when we were sick. 'You have to tough it out to strengthen your immune system.' aka 'We do not want to spend the money so you feel better sooner.' As an adult, I go to the doctor immediately. I feel better more quickly. None of us wore braces to fix our severely crooked teeth. Mom and dad (with their perfectly straight teeth) would tell us it is not important. Later, as an adult they tell me they didn't realize how bad our teeth were. Right, even though my grandparents gave them braces to straighten their teeth when they were teens. Abuse and neglect is simply that. No matter how much you try to sugar coat it.

sheepherder, it's not illegal to administer corporal punishment using hands, belts or paddles in all 50 states.

yep I guess we will wait until he does something really bad and the coward step father kills him all you people defending him will be yelling why no one did anything

FOR NOT catching A BASEBALL??? wtf??? What YOU LOVE to get BEAT? Or want someone to beat you???? What do you do when they really do something wrong, say spill milk...murder them?

And now take a look at our children and our schools, but liberals just don't get it. They want more rules and laws that restrict our 'liberties'. I honestly can't figure out where the word 'liberal' comes from when all they want is more government, laws, and restrictions that suppress our 'liberities'.

So, you equate hitting a child with a belt, (because he can't catch a baseball) to "liberty". I'm sure our founders had that in mind when they framed our Constitution, along with other "rights" like texting while driving. No one wants to live in a world where we are tripping over laws, but no sane person would equate belting a child for bad sports performance with "rights". It's one thing to discipline a child, but I am thankful for laws in many respects. They try to protect kids from people like you, they try protect us from people like you, and they try to protect us from the messed up adults that some belt whipped kids will eventually become.

-hell as a child- indeed.

Right, that is because it is child abuse. Your parents should not have used a clothing accessory as a weapon to harm you. There are plenty of other disciplinary measures that are effective, i.e. grounding, stand in the corner, take away [fill in favorite toy, game, etc. here], etc. and that do not involve physical harm to the child.

That's how my dad was and he ended up running off when we grew older. I think that he grew afraid of my brothers later, not because they were mean or disrespectful to him, but because they grew physically larger and he knew he could no longer control them by brute force. Some people are really messed up and show the world how little they think of themselves in how they treat their offspring.

Great post Keith ! You should have many votes!

You are right Keith it would be an assault if you put your hands on another person with the exception of corporal punishment including using implements like a belt or a paddle in a domestic situation and this is true of ALL 50 states. Therefore this is not considered a crime. You must get the laws changed in your state if you would like to see this behaviour go away.

Thanks so much, S Jr, for the information. I obviously hadn't considered "corporal punishment" in my discipline vs. assault and battery argument.

According to Wikipedia: "In the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada [where I live], corporal punishment administered to children by their parent or legal guardian is not legally considered to be assault UNLESS it is deemed to be excessive or unreasonable. What constitutes 'reasonable' varies in both statutory law and case law. Unreasonable physical punishment may be charged as assault or under a separate statute for child abuse."

The laws of the land aside, I for one believe that physically hurting those who can’t defend themselves is morally wrong and indefensible. Seeing the video of that man bullying and striking that little boy over and over is in a word, sickening. (Had he been taking a belt to an elderly person, or whipping a dog, would the sight have been any less repulsive?) That the poor kid couldn't or wouldn't catch a lousy ball to the stepfather's satisfaction was HARDLY justification for beating him with a belt. I’m guessing that, under any civilized country’s law, would be considered "excessive and unreasonable" punishment.

There is something seriously wrong with a neighbor who would record a childs' punishment, post it on youtube, use foul language in front of a minor, invite the guy to come over and give him a whipping. How humiliating to the boy to have the whole world watch him get punished. Calling CPS would have been more appropriate but he has put this boy on stage getting a whipping for all to come see. Nice going angry guy.

He tried to convince the step-dad to quit beating the boy. He sent the recording to the police. That was correct behaviour.

Shaming the step-dad publicly was also a good idea. He might just learn from it, and now all of his neighbors are on alert for future beatings. Sometimes it takes a village to protect a child.

The boy will be shamed more. He is not emotionally mature enough to deal with knowing people are seeing the video of him getting a belt whipping.

His neighbors will now be able to protect the child. It takes a village.

Sorry, but using a belt IS inherently child abuse. I hope you aren't doing that to your children. If you are, you should be reported for child abuse.

3. Is $100,000 bond reasonable for this offense? That sounds abusive. If he bailed himself out with a bail bondsman it cost him $10,000 before even seeing a lawyer. I didn't see the youtube video but seems like a typical California Political Correctness.

Well look at that.

Mymomdidnotraiseafool is making veiled threats. You must be a big tough internet guy.

For the record I dont have kids.