Clearly, there is a huge disparity in terms of how people on this board view the issue of discipline tactics with children.
The best I can offer is that there is a massive difference between "spanking" a kid and "abusing" a kid. it shouldn't be, but I know some can't clearly see what AP did was abuse a child. He may have thought he was spanking, but the sad reality is that he abused a child... actually two children.
I was spanked as a child. I spanked (very rarely) my 3 kids. I was not led to believe that "corporal punishment is more effective". I was taught that if you disrespect a parent, or otherwise go too far and act in a manner that my parents taught me not to, there was a price to be paid. And this is what I have instilled in my kids. I never used a switch, or a belt, or anything else other than my hand. I can't say the same about my mom... I never spanked my kids when they were 4 years old. And I was never spanked when I was 4. But of course, attempting to discern an appropriate age for spanking is very murky...
Today, many believe that kids and young adults would be better off if they were more harshly disciplined - spanking... I tend to believe this to be true... as I have noticed that, for the most part but certainly not in all cases, parents who choose not to spank tend to become less and less "active" in terms of discipline.
Discipline takes work, effort and engagement... not sporadically, but consistently. For too long now, parents have made the choice not to engage in that way. They would rather dump the discipline work onto others (teaches, coaches...).
AP will get what he is due in terms of punishment... He abused 2 children and no sane judge will see it any other way. What Goodell and the NFL choose to do, as well as the Vikings, should be interesting to watch...