Abused children become adults who abuse kids

Abused children become adults who abuse kids
EDITOR:
I read the editorial in The Vindicator's April 24 edition titled "Preventing child abuse and neglect a year-round effort."
April is designated "Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month" in Ohio. The editorial is timely and notes some of the publicized, more tragic local abuses.
Attorney General Betty Montgomery has developed a legacy in Ohio's effort to reduce child abuse by initiating programs to address the problem. Her admonition in public speeches to "set an example for others by treating all children with love and kindness" is indicative of her cvoncern. Attorney General Montgomery also initiated programs to provide training for the those in the juvenile justice section to deal with child abuse and by paying for expert witness testimony in the prosecution of abuse cases.
Another program, Free From the Start, addresses violence against children using a public health approach to cope with child abuse. The Ohio Committee to Prevent Child Abuse telephone number is (614) 722-6800 or 1-800-CHILDREN
The battered and bruised bodies of 3.2 million victims of child abuse each year in America is a national disgrace. The American Psychological Association commission on youth and violence found that violence has a home address.
1.Violence is a learned trait and not inborn.
2 Violent parents raise violent children.
3.Violent children become violent adults.
Evil has many faces, and coaching violence is one of them. Harsh punishment poisons the experience of childhood, creates a deficit which can never be overcome and warps a child's natural bent toward empathy.
Mahoning County Children's Services served 6,427 children in 2000. Of these, 411 were for physical abuse, 204 sexual abuse and 539 neglect.
Consider that one in three victims of physical abuse is a child under 12 months old. Early abuse of those under 3 may result in mental problems because of irregularities in brain development may generate more Ted Bundys. Bundy, a murderer of coeds, is a classic example of the ramifications of extreme child abuse.
No child ever grew up improved by abusive experiences. It is a good thing that the state's attorney general, local agencies and the newspaper promote a zero tolerance for abuse and neglect of all children. As all adults know, those first years last forever.
WILLIAM B. ROORBACK
Boardman
Noise again a problem, but police ignore concern
EDITOR:
As the weather has started to get warmer and that faint sound of radios playing in the distance and getting louder and louder as they approach, the politicians have once again taken to telling us that this is a quality of life issue that will be dealt with. But for the problem to be dealt with, someone who cares must hear the complaint.
This person should be the call taker for the Youngstown Police Department, but, to my surprise, when I called about a vehicle that cruises the area with a loud radio, I was asked "Is the vehicle parked?" When I told the young woman that it was being driven up and down the street, I was told to call back when the vehicle was parked because, she said, the police department did not go after those who were driving up and down the streets.
But maybe the problem here is not so much with the loud radio but in the area I live in, which is not as affluent as some neighborhoods where loud radios are considered more of a problem. However, quality of life should not be based on where you live or what your income is. But in this case it seems to -- which makes it a sad day for Youngstown.
JAMES D. VAUGHN, II
Youngstown