PARENTS ANONYMOUS - THE GROWTH OF AN IDEA

• NCJ Number: 52174
• Author(s): K MACFARLANE; L LIEBER
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Sale Source: US Dept of Health and Human Services; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE OPERATION AND EFFICACY OF PARENTS ANONYMOUS (P.A.) AS A FAMILY TREATMENT SERVICE TO DEAL WITH CHILD ABUSE ARE DESCRIBED.

Abstract

P.A. IS THE LARGEST NATIONAL SELF-HELP ORGANIZATION FOR PARENTS WHO DEFINE THEMSELVES AS ABUSIVE TO THEIR CHILDREN. IT HAS OVER 8,000 MEMBERS AND FUNCTIONS AS A NURTURING AND TEACHING THERAPEUTIC SERVICE OPERATED BY CONSUMERS, AT NO CHARGE TO THEM, TO REDUCE AND PREVENT FURTHER CHILD ABUSE. PROGRAM COMPONENTS OF P.A. ARE STATE OFFICES, STATE ADVISORY COUNCILS AND/OR POLICYMAKING BOARDS, STATE COORDINATORS, AND STATEWIDE TELEPHONE HELP LINES. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM FACED BY P.A. RELATES TO CONTINUED FUNDING OF THE NATIONAL P.A. OFFICE. THE FOLLOWING FORMS OF CHILD ABUSE ARE RECOGNIZED BY P.A.: PHYSICAL ABUSE, PHYSICAL NEGLECT, EMOTIONAL ABUSE, EMOTIONAL DEPRIVATION, VERBAL ASSAULT, AND SEXUAL ABUSE. PERSONS COME TO P.A. GROUPS ON THEIR OWN OR ARE REFERRED BY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIES SUCH AS COURTS, THE POLICE, LOCAL CHILD PROTECTIVE AGENCIES, AND INDIVIDUALS (TREATMENT PROFESSIONALS, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, AND RELATIVES); 93 PERCENT ARE VOLUNTARY MEMBERS AND 7 PERCENT COME UNDER COURT ORDER. AN EVALUATION OF P.A. COVERING THE 1975-1976 PERIOD INDICATES THAT 83 PERCENT OF ABUSING PARENTS WERE FEMALE AND 17 PERCENT WERE MALE. THE MEAN AGE OF PARENTS WAS 29.3 YEARS, AND THE MEAN LEVEL OF EDUCATION WAS 12 YEARS. ONLY 7 PERCENT OF THE PARENTS HAD INCOMES OVER $20,000. THE MEAN AGE OF CHILDREN IN P.A. FAMILIES WAS 5.9 YEARS. THREE-FOURTHS OF PARENTS HAD EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF CHILD ABUSE IN THEIR OWN CHILDHOOD, AND OVER HALF REPORTED THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THEIR CHILDREN HAD A HANDICAP OR SPECIAL PROBLEM. TYPES OF ABUSE TOWARD CHILDREN WERE VERBAL ABUSE (77 PERCENT), PHYSICAL ABUSE (53 PERCENT), EMOTIONAL ABUSE (43 PERCENT), AND SEXUAL ABUSE (4 PERCENT). HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE OPERATION AND FUNDING OF P.A. ARE REVIEWED, AND EXPECTED RESULTS OF ITS PROGRAM ARE DELINEATED. THE RESULTS INCLUDE ESTABLISHING A HIGHLY VISIBLE P.A. OFFICE IN EVERY STATE AS WELL AS INTRASTATE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS WHEREBY PARENTS CAN CONTACT P.A. RESOURCES, AND ASSURING ONGOING STABLE FUNDING SOURCES LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. (DEP)