[Risa]

"I would also say that this sort of violent, arbitrary environment does damage to a child that cannot be seen in photographs."

Absolutely. The continual pummeling of a child's head may not leave visible damage, but does cause little bits of neuronal damage which build over time (for an extreme, think of Mohammed Ali).

In fact, if the abuser happens to strike the child's jaw so it torques in just the right way, the damage rips right through the brain tissue, from one side of the head to the other. Yet, you won't see actual physical damage. The child will have learning problems, or severe ADD-like symptoms, or 'mental illness' and everyone will think he/she was just born this way.

The there are the ever-present stress biochemicals. A child's brain is actively developing, and it does so in response to its physical and social environment. Such arbitrary abuse puts the child in a continual state of stress and fear,(or sheer terror) and much evidence exists that the continuing high levels of stress chemicals (cortisol, specifically) damage developing brain cells, dooming the child to potential learning problems, neurobiological illnesses, and often post traumatic stress disorder---lots of the totally dysfunctional adults (some of them our worst criminals) in our country experienced a childhood of arbitrary abuse. And even the victims who are able to overcome the effects and lead meaningful lives, underwent an enormous challenge at some point to do so.

To my mind continual child abuse is tantamount to murder, because in many cases, the victim is being robbed of the opportunity to pursue a healthy, meaningful adulthood. Instead they suffer and society does, too.

[Misterioso]

To my mind continual child abuse is tantamount to murder, because in many cases, the victim is being robbed of the opportunity to pursue a healthy, meaningful adulthood. Instead they suffer and society does, too.

This is the lesson to be taken from the controversy. Many children are raised in an irrational environment, where the parents use verbal and physical intimidation on them, crippling their ability to adjust to the real world. These kids use all their resources to try to adjust to a crazy environment, when they should be engaged in the normal struggle of individuation and self-realization.

This is an enlightened post, and a breath of fresh air on this contentious thread.