Treating your kids poorly, in and of itself, is not always against the law.
When the victimization rises to a crime, prosecute. When not, don't. Different states will draw different limits in this regard, as it should be. There should be a very strong legal presumption that such issues fall within the purview of a private family matter, and there should be a very high standard required to overcome this presumption, such as overt and proven risk of actual physical injury or death. Sounds harsh, but anything less places the family in a subordinate position in relation to our government. Families should be presumed sacrosanct and outside of the control of the government.
