Parent Training

After reading the harrowing report of the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect (Part A, June 27) I have been haunted by the fact that our nation is suffering a scourge. Child abuse is rampant and there is little hope for the future of these children since it is recognized that the abused child is destined to become a troubled adult often with a capacity for violence. The cycle of violence has proliferated over the generations and must be broken.

There was in the article a list of suggested measures to deal with the problem, but nowhere was there a specific mention of parent training.

If young people in the first year of junior high school (before even sexually active teen-agers are likely to become parents) could learn something of the basic skills of parenting, many serious mistakes might be avoided. What other course of study would reap such obvious rewards in adult life?

There are already far too many bruised and broken young bodies and spirits. We must find ways now to break the cycle of misery and violence. Only then can we hope for a new generation of parents and healthier, happier children.

JON LAPPEN

President

The Center for Childhood

Los Angeles