Cursing toddler -- Omaha police confirmed Wednesday that the toddler who was harangued with obscenities and encouraged to curse by adults was taken into protective custody.

According to a news release, officials announced that four children, including the "cursing toddler" from the video shared online by Omaha police union, were taken from the home and placed in government custody.

In the video gone viral, a toddler wearing diapers was subjected to taunts and was repeatedly cursed at by adults using obscene language and was encouraged to curse as well.

At one point in the video, the "cursing toddler" was being forced to declare his affiliation to a gang. When it appears that the child is becoming confused and unable to respond to the adults cursing at him, the young boy holds up his middle finger in front of the camera.

The "cursing toddler" went viral just shortly after the Omaha Police Association uploaded it online to educate people on the "thug cycle" that police officials insist needs to be broken in that area.

"We here at OmahaPOA.com viewed the video and we knew that despite the fact that it is sickening, heartbreaking footage, we have an obligation to share it to continue to educate the law abiding public about the terrible cycle of violence and thuggery that some young innocent children find themselves helplessly trapped in," said the police union in the caption of the "cursing toddler" video.

The police union received criticism for sharing the video of the toddler on its site. Officials responded to the criticism, saying they were aiming to stimulate discussion about current problems in the community and show what police officials encounter.