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Show Violence ! uthTtau not md irom child abuse problem Bv SHARON M. By SHARON PRAGLE The following is the third installment in a four-part series conserning family violence in southern Utah. This article focuses mainly on cases where the victim of such violence is a child. Next week's installment will summarize the series and the findings of a recent v survey. Violence against a child is certainly classified as one of the ugliest of all violent actions; however, such a belief does not stop it from being a problem, even in a five-county area of southwestern Utah. The act of a parent hitting a child is so widespread that it is quite difficult to say that a parent who hits his child is being violent. There is a problem of defining what constitutes abuse. Also, there is sufficient evidence that each year a large number of parents beat, batter and, on occasion, kill their offspring. It is because of these reported cases of abuse that the Cedar City League of Women Voters sought to study the problem. Covering a one-year period in the five county area, the family violence survey with the help of Five County Family Life Services recognized that strong physical force was very much apparent in the area. Violence can be accepted, approved and ' even mandated in family interaction. Called normal violence, it is instrumental in achieving or accomplishing some goal. Often the victim believes the violence is acceptable because he deserved it or benefited from being hit. Basically everyone has been in this catagory to some d6r66 Richard Garrett, district director of the Five County Family Life Services stated: "Frustration levels will only tolerate so much, and then it's taken out on family members." Children become targets. They are safe targets because they are not strong . enough to fight back and generally cannot seek help outside the family. Of seventh and fifteenth years before the challenging begins. According to Garrett, there has been some evidence that several deaths may have been caused from abuse but were never proven. Child abuse studies show that the size of families is related, most common in families with four or more children. Creating financial, emotional and psychological burdens, stresses can lead to violence directed toward the source of the stress. In all forms of violence except punching, the mother is the most physically aggressive parent. Violence is sometimes viewed as an effective tool for teaching and controlling. Other times, the parent doesn't feel that she can communicate the message verbally. Children who experience family violence have certain characteristics. Aggressive behavior at home and school toward siblings, children and animals is common, as is violence toward their parents later in life. These children may not interact well with others. Truancy and running away are common. Sexual abuse of children, according to Garrett, seems to be more widespread in this area than ever before. Garrett contributes much of the occurrence to break up of marriages. The most common abuse is father daughter incest, usually involving the step-father. The victim often has been experiencing the abuse since a very early age. "After talking to a girlfriend, the victim realizes it wasn't happening to her girlfriend and knew it wasn't right." said Garrett, of some of the reported cases he has worked with. Studies have shown that the female spouse may be aware of the incestuous activity but does not want to interfer to aviod violence to herself or unwanted sexual demands. On the other hand her own preoccupation with survival and safety may make her unaware of the sexual abuse. the reported 495 cases in the area, just under half involved the abuse of a child. It should be noted that violent behavior tends to be passed on from generation to generation; thus the home '. becomes the "training ground" for violent patterns. Some feel there are few opportunities to learn alternative child learning skills. "Children have a protective nature, so often the community helps out," Garrett said of the cooperation received from various agencies such as neighbors, churches and schools. Locally, the abuse cases seem to peak at two different times in a child's life. The first regular occurences of abuse happen between the ages of one and three years when as manv as 46 Dercent of the cases involve striking or beating with a fist or object. The second highest incident rate took place after the age of 16 years. "They don't change their methods and rebellion takes place," Garrett explained. The incidences of regular use of physical punishment is surprisingly low between the child's |