Re: Parents Anonymous and Primary Prevention

[wadek@xxxxxxx (Karen Wade)]

I appreciate Robert Caldwell's clarification of levels of prevention as it
pertains to Parents Anonymous and other prevention and/or treatment
programs.  With this clarification in mind, I'm able to comfortably say
that Parents Anonymous, Inc. offers programs at primary, secondary, and
tertiary levels of prevention.  PA is open to anyone in a parenting role
regardless of whether they have maltreated a child, are at risk to abuse,
or just want information and support to be a better, more effective
parent. We have outreach strategies which address all three levels of
prevention and many Parents Anonymous parents are clearly in the primary
prevention category.

We would agree with Dr. Caldwell's concern that there is far too little
funding for pure prevention (preventing maltreatment from ever happening),
but in the real world of daily family life, tertiary prevention,
intervening after an incident of abuse/neglect, is still essential
prevention, for the target child, or for a sibling for whom the parent's
actions may not have yet crossed the often fuzzy line between poor
parenting skills and clear maltreatment.

When it comes to preventing child abuse and neglect, in the daily stresses
and strains of parenting in economically uncertain times and in
communities without strong social supports and networks, a "good" parent,
not in any particular "at risk" category, might lash out in anger and
cross the line, commiting an abusive act--in frequent scenarios such as
these the lines of distinction between primary, secondary, and tertiary
prevention certainly blur.  Education and outreach for the prevention of
child maltreatment must include information about how to get help and
support for the frequently difficult job of parenting at the earliest
inkling of distress, and there should be no shame attached to asking for
help.  A favorite saying in Parents Anonymous is "Asking for help is a
sign of strength".

I appreciate the opportunity to discuss this further, and thank Robert
Caldwell for bring the prevention issue to the forefront of discussion on
this list.

Karen Wade
Director of Development
Parents Anonymous, Inc.
The National Organization

wadek@cgs.edu