Former NBA great Amar’e Stoudemire was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking his teenage daughter, according to reports.
He was arrested at his Miami condo in the early hours of Sunday morning and his bond was set at $1,500.
Amar’e Stoudemire was arrested in Miami, per @AndySlater
Stoudemire allegedly told cops his daughter “received a whooping from him for being disrespectful and a liar,” pic.twitter.com/gYtVkMHTjj
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) December 18, 2022
When Discipline Goes Too Far?
According to the police report Stoudemire struck one of his teenage daughters. He and his ex-wife Alexis share four children, including two teenage daughters, ages 14 and 17. It is unclear which child he’s alleged to have hit.
The report says Stoudemire struck the girl across the face at least twice. One with an open hand and one with a closed fist. His daughter was left bloodied after the alleged incident.
Stoudemire is 6 feet 10 and in his playing days around 245 pounds. He is a large human being. Any kind of physical force against a minor is going to result in something ugly.
Police on the scene say Stoudemire’s reason for the incident was the daughter was being disrespectful to her grandmother (Amar’e’s mother) and he needed to discipline her for that.
The daughter called her mother and sent pictures of her injuries which apparently prompted the 911 call and Stoudemire’s subsequent arrest.
No matter what Stoudemire says about “discipline” or the daughter being “disrespectful” committing physical violence on a child is wrong and criminal. Many people were raised to believe that “beatings” and “whuppings” are necessary to raise children.
Excessive Punishment
That is wrong and extremely dangerous.
Reports reveal former NY Knicks player #AmareStoudemire was arrested yesterday in Miami – just hours after he graduated with a Masters Degree – for punching his young daughter in the jaw and slapping her several times because she was “giving attitude”. B… https://t.co/aXs5v0WAuf pic.twitter.com/HYftxEX89g
— YBF CHIC (@TheYBF) December 18, 2022
Award winning journalist, author, and college professor Stacey Patton has written in her book “Spare the Kids” and spoken extensively about the issue and is a nationally recognized child advocate.
“Fifty years worth of scientific studies has shown that all forms of hitting, even when there are no bruises or other injuries left behind, causes structural damage to a child’s developing brain, can compromise their immune system, places them at risk for delinquency and incarceration, poor intellectual, psychological, and chronic health problems later in life.
“Studies of brain scans by doctors at Harvard Medical School reveal the devastating effect corporal punishment has had on young adults. The brain scans of corporally punished young adults (not subjects who were bruised or severely injured) show nearly 20 percent reduction in the volume of gray matter in certain areas of the prefrontal cortex of their brains, compared with those who were not hit.
“When a child is threatened with a whupping or is hit, their body is flooded with certain stress hormones, which can damage the hippocampus, which may in turn affect their ability to cope with stress later in life.”
According to Patton no matter how you justify it, striking a child is wrong and has extremely dangerous consequences.
“I hear many parents say, ‘there’s a difference between spanking and abuse.’ I disagree. There is no appropriate way to hurt a child’s body. Both are forms of violence, both can damage a child’s brain, and both can produce the same karma.”
Pro spankers be like: I sit down and talk to my child before I hit them. Then after I hit them, I hug them and tell them I love them. News Flash! This is called “trauma bonding.” Same behaviors displayed by domestic violence perps in adult relationships.
— Stacey Patton (@DrStaceyPatton) November 22, 2018
Hard not to see or understand how the alleged actions by Stoudemire can have a severe impact on his daughter and the rest of his children.
Alexis took the four children back to her residence after Stoudemire was arrested. He has been released since posting bond. No official word on Stoudemire’s first court appearance.
