Dad arrested after grammar lesson turns violent

Kenneth Webb charged with neglect of a dependent MIDDLETOWN — Police say a Henry County father became violent while trying to improve his 3-year-old son’s grammar. Kenneth R. Webb, 29, 4433 N. Raider Road, Middletown, was charged Monday with neglect of a dependent, a Class C felony carrying a standard four-year prison term, and battery resulting in bodily injury to a person under the age of 14, a Class D felony with a standard 18-month sentence. According to reports by the Henry County sheriff’s department, police were notified last week that Webb had repeatedly struck the child in the face, causing “bruising and physical pain.” In an interview with investigators, Webb reportedly acknowledged he had slapped the boy “more than once” because the youngster “wouldn’t look him in the eye as he talked.” Asked what he was trying to discuss with the 3-year-old, Webb reportedly said the topic was “sentence structure,” adding that he was trying to persuade the child to begin questions with “May I please...” Webb said he later realized he had struck the boy “too hard and had left slap marks across his face on both sides,” an officer wrote. Police were notified of the incident by Child Protective Services officials. The boy — who was treated at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis — was placed in the custody of a grandparent, reports said. An initial hearing for Webb — released from the Henry County jail last Friday after posting bond — is set for Sept. 16 in Henry Circuit Court 1. Court records reflect no prior charges or convictions for the Middletown man. Source: http://www.indystar.com/article/20130904/NEWS02/309040060/Dad-arrested-after-grammar-lesson-turns-violent?nclick_check=1

Yelling at Your Kids Leads to Worse Behavior

Study suggests that scolding children doesn't help By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff (Newser) – Yelling at your rotten kids won't make them any less rotten—and might actually make things worse, a new study suggests. Researchers from the universities of Pittsburgh and Michigan found that 13-year-olds whose parents had used "harsh verbal discipline" on them tended to see a greater increase in behavior problems the next year, the Wall Street Journal reports. They also exhibited symptoms of depression. The jump was similar to that seen in kids who'd been spanked or otherwise physically disciplined. The study, which was published yesterday by Child Development, followed 976 kids from age 13 to 14, surveying both the children and their parents. They found that the scolding-to-future-bad-behavior corollary held true no matter how warm the parent-child relationship was otherwise. "You feel a lot more responsible for your behavior when you're being corrected by someone you respect," explains one child psychiatrist not involved in the study. "Anything you do to berate or shame a kid erodes that power you have." And whatever you do, don't act like this guy. Source: http://www.newser.com/story/173757/yelling-at-your-kids-leads-to-worse-behavior.html