When is punishment child abuse? #tellusatoday

Letters to the editor:

As a pediatrician, I am required to report child abuse, or any reasonable suspicion of child abuse, and failure to do so would be a crime. But the cases are not always black and white. Human beings are making these judgments so they will never be perfect ("Whippings part of Adrian Peterson's childhood").

Declarations by Adrian Peterson that he is not a child abuser are meaningless. Claiming that he acted as he did — whipping his 4-year-old son with a switch — because this was how he was disciplined a generation ago is a pathetic justification. Every adult is responsible for his actions as a parent regardless of how his own parents disciplined him.

No reasonable person can look at those photos and those descriptions and defend Peterson. There will be legal consequences for this behavior.

David Safir; Los Gatos, Calif.

When the Adrian Peterson scandal first broke, I wondered what the big deal was.

Many people responded that way, including former NBA player Charles Barkley. Barkley said in an interview: "We all spanked our kids. I got spanked, me and my two brothers."

Many people believe spanking/being hit with a switch shouldn't be considered child abuse. Even in a statement from Peterson, he said he was just disciplining his child the way he had been disciplined. I don't believe Peterson did anything wrong.

Lindsay Perry; West Chester, Pa.

When people resort to violence, it's usually because words have failed them. Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson says he respects his parents, who beat him as a child, and Janay Rice married the man who beat her senseless.

One can only wonder what kind of men Peterson and former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice would be if their parents had taught them negotiating, communication and interpersonal relationship skills rather than "in this world you only get what you are strong enough to take."

Benjamin Schultz; Bloomington, Ind.

We asked our followers what they thought about the use of corporal punishment to discipline children. Comments from Twitter are edited for clarity and grammar:

It's far less a problem than children born out of wedlock and black boys going to prison.

— @flsku

It is not acceptable. Corporal punishment doesn't work as an effective way to discipline children.

— @LouiseBoxer

The excuse "my parents abused me so it's OK" is pathetic. That's not the sort of tradition I want in my family.

— @bunnymother

It may be tradition, but it's backward, barbaric and ineffective. An ignorant parent uses it to indulge bad temper.

— @Cathey_Thomas

As long as you are not out of control, it is OK and necessary.

— @wings84

My sons' father chose harsh punishment, resulting in a strained adult relationship with one and none with the other.

— @TVwxGirl

Am I unique? You see, the only thing that really kept me from doing some really bad things was a spanking.

— @SkipValente

For more discussions, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday on Twitter.