Re: Intergenerational Transmission -- Not

["Murray A. Straus" <mas2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sharon:

I have the same problem in relation to the harmful effects of spanking,  but
it is even more difficulty because almost every one has been spanked and it
therefore contradicts their personal experience.   Almost everyone can say
(and most do say) "I was spanked and I'm ok."     I try to deal with this by
first introducing the concept of  "risk factor"  in the sense of an event,
experience, or characteristic that increases the risk or probability of a
noxious result,  rather than being a one-to-one cause.   Then I present data
on smoking as  risk factor.  I use smoking because almost everyone now
believes that smoking is harmful  (this would not have worked a generation
ago).   I present evidence showing, for example, that 1 out of 3 heavy
smokers die of lung cancer or some other smoking related disease.
Students agree that this is a high death rate.   Then I point out that the
same statistic means that 2 out of 3 heavy smokers do not die from it.   So
most heavy smokers can say "I smoked all my life, and I'm ok,"  which is the
same as "I was spanked and I'm ok."    Both are factually correct
statements,  but the implication that therefore smoking or spanking is ok
not correct.   The correct implication is that they are the lucky ones; or
that they have the "disease" and do not know it;  or they have the disease,
but do not realize that it was caused by smoking or spanking  (as used to be
the case with lung cancer).   This has to be followed up by a discussion of
why not everyone exposed to a disease (physical or social) vector,  comes
down with that disease,  including examples they already know about but did
not  realize the underlying principles,  ranging from the common cold to
babies born to HIV infected mothers who do not have HIV.

Murray A. Straus, Professor of Sociology
& Co-Director,  Family Research Laboratory
University of New Hampshire,  Durham, NH 03824
Phone:  603 862-2594   Fax:  603 862-1122
E-mail  MAS2@CHRISTA.UNH.EDU

See the Family Research Laboratory web site http://www.unh.edu/frl
for bibliography of books and papers by members of the lab,  conference
announcements,  and information about the lab faculty and research program.
-----Original Message-----
From: Sharon Carnahan <Carnahan@Rollins.Edu>
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
<CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu>
Date: Monday, April 05, 1999 10:50 AM
Subject: Intergenerational Transmission -- Not


>I am lecturing this week in Developmental Psychology class about child
>abuse.  I am having trouble getting the concept of intergenerational
>trasmission across to my class.  They can't seem to get the idea that
>while many adults who abuse children were themselves abused, many abused
>children grow up to be successful parents without abusing their
>children.
>
>Can anyone recommend an effective tool, set of questions, classroom or
>workshop exercise, or concise set of numbers, to help my students get
>this?
>
>(Not sure all that many of us professionals get it either, come to think
>of it!)
>
>Thanks
>
>Sharon Carnahan, Ph.D.
>Rollins College