Dwight Howard -- Now Under Criminal Investigation for Child Abuse

Dwight Howard is under criminal investigation for child abuse ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

We've learned the Cobb County PD in Georgia now has an active criminal investigation into allegations he beat his 6-year-old son Braylon with a belt buckle.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the Dept. of Children and Families in Florida (DCF) determined there wasn't enough evidence of child abuse to go forward, but it turns out the incident occurred in Georgia. Howard admits he hit his kid with a belt, but says he didn't know it was wrong because he was hit as a kid.

Why are you working so hard on this thread to defend child abusers newbie?

Your tagline says you won’t be ridiculed into silence. Why use a word such as “newbie”? Isn’t that an attempt to ridicule?

I just think that unless discipline rises to actual physical imprints that last for a day or longer, it is not abuse. Spank a child, leave a reddened bottom, not abuse.

Use a switch or spoon, leave a bruise or welts consistently, borderline, maybe a red flag.

Leave marks weekly, monthly or daily, definite abuse.

Many times parents need to be given the slack to regret and change without the interference of outside forces. Sometimes, and I mean rarely, someone has to step in. “This will hurt me more than it hurts you” comes to mind.

A parent that revels in discipline, is a pretty good sign of a mounting, or pernicious problem.

I was never abused by my parents, but if authorities had the power then, that they have now to step in, they could. I am not saying they would, but the fear by police or social welfare agencies changes the parenting dynamic.

In short, those agencies are more likely the abusers of our right to be left alone.

I don’t know if that satisfies your curiosity, I hope it does. Thanks for the conversation.

I was abused by my mother.
When I was 11 years old I called what I guess was social services in Texas.
They visited my mother when I was at school.
She pulled the wool over their eyes during the visit.
The case I guess was closed.
When I got home from school that day, let’s just say she got her revenge.

I tell you all this not because I want sympathy. I know that most people like to say they care about abused children, but I know that most people turn a blind eye to it.

The screaming and crying coming out of my house was heard by the whole neighborhood. No one cared.
My neighbor childhood friend was badly abused by his brothers. I fell asleep to his screams on some nights. Again, no one cared.

I will not get into a drawn out back and forth with you about spanking and/or beating. I raised a son without spanking. I refused to continue the abuse. I am against most physical punishment in the home. As well as emotional abuse. It is ugly and damaging.

Nothing you say will ever sway me to agree with you on this subject. I have seen evil and it was in the eyes of my mother. I sadly believe there are many parents like her.

I am against almost all physical punishment in the home.

I understand you now. Thank you for your revealing words. Sorry doesn’t cover how I feel about your past. You raised your children in the only manner open to you. Breaking that cycle was hard I am sure, and necessary. I never heard of abuse until I was well into my adult years. No friends or family have come forward and revealed anything like your story. Hopefully, my view and memories are in the vast majority of homes of my time growing up. Sadly I see with the advent of single family homes, and Fathers that parent part-time, it has increased as they attempt to make up for consistent attention, with dealing out pain. Be well, and congratulations on your victory over the past.

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