Pubdate: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 Source: Kansas City Star (MO) Copyright: 2002 The Kansas City Star Contact: http://www.kcstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/221 Author: Mary M Arends CHILD ABUSE HORROR A recent As I See It writer suggested using parent education programs to prevent child abuse. This is a good idea. But waiting until the children are born to intervene is about 10 years too late. Children should be taught parenting by their parents. If their parents can't teach them, then intervention in the schools becomes necessary. Boys and girls should have a good idea of what is expected of parents by the age of 9 or 10. When girls and boys have had their first sexual encounter by age 11, and some have babies by age 15, counseling in the birthing room isn't going to get it. Many of the "parents" of the abused-living and abused-deceased children are involved in the drug culture. Until something is done to stem the use of methamphetamine and crack cocaine, we might as well take the money spent by well-meaning people such as this writer and throw it in a blazing fire. If I was in charge, women giving birth to babies with drugs in their systems would be candidates for sterilization; men who kill children would also give up the right to father any more children to be maimed or killed. Mary M Arends Kansas City - --- MAP posted-by: Beth