Video of Boy Forced in Snow Sparks Debate

A new video of a 4-year-old boy is causing outrage among parents.

He Liesheng of China has explained that the video, which features his son wearing only underpants and shoes, was trying to make him stronger. The boy can be seen and hear crying as he is forced to run and do push-ups in the snow. Parents across the globe are questioning the parenting technique and the extreme pressure put on children.

Amy Chua created a media sensation with the publication of her article "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior" and the release of the memoir, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother." In part of the essay, Chua wrote, "Chinese parents can get away with things that Western parents can't. Once when I was young -- maybe more than once -- when I was extremely disrespectful to my mother, my father angrily called me 'garbage' in our native Hokkien dialect."

"It worked really well," she added. "I felt terrible and deeply ashamed of what I had done. But it didn't damage my self-esteem or anything like that. The fact is that Chinese parents can do things that would seem unimaginable -- even legally actionable -- to Westerners."

Father He Liesheng told CNN, "It's tough for me, too, when he cried out for my comfort. But I believe in 'no pain, no gain.' Like an eagle, I push my child to the limit so he can learn how to fly. I consulted my doctor friends to ensure what we do it scientific and that it won't harm my son's body."

"Some people compare me to the 'Tiger Mom,' but we are different. Unlike her, I always respect my son's will. I've always felt Chinese parents spoil their only child too much. We don't expose them to nature enough and they get weaker and less competitive compared to foreign children," Liesheng added.

Parents in China and the United States are divided on views about Liesheng's actions. Some offer him full support, while others express outrage and call for an investigation into the family's actions. So far, though, there will be no judicial consequences for the video.

While the video was Liesheng's idea, he told CNN that he had to convince his wife to go along with it. "My wife strongly opposed my idea in the beginning, but I kept persuading her about the benefits of my method. She told me she's beyond caring now."