I saw that the other day (linked by james_nicoll), and that bit about the battered children caught my eye. I noticed hadn't bothered to support it in any way, so I figured it was probably politically-motivated bullshit, but I didn't feel like wrestling with that particular pig.

This exchange indicates that you're dealing with an ideologue who isn't going to actually listen to any counter-argument:

You: In any case, it's probably a good idea to be cautious about citing a single decades-old psychology study as something approaching a universal law.

Them: Children and mothers haven't changed.

That response was the sound of the other person's mental defense gate clanging shut.