The Editor, Sir:

At last someone - Kevin O'Brien Chang - has made specific suggestions as to what should be done to prevent these hideous crimes against our children. In all the hue and cry about the awful statistics, there has barely been anything useful said.

O'Brien has suggested two, what may be very potent measures, compulsory registration of fathers and compulsory investigation of pregnancies in girls under age, in both cases using DNA testing. That is something within the power of the Government to do.

However, prevention is better than cure. We also need to be instituting preventive programmes. I am of the belief that one of the prime causes of these behaviours is the result of the abusive child-rearing methods used by many parents. These include the use of harsh punishment, the differential treatment of boys versus girls, the lack of parental example (both parents) and the absence of parents from the home where there are young children.

Emotional development

Security in early childhood and consistency in child management, essential to healthy emotional development, is severely lacking in many homes. Senator Obama has pointed to the need for investments in early childhood intervention. We have an epidemic! We need an intensive programme of parenting training that should be compulsory for both parents of a new baby.

The tools and the means are here. Of course it will cost money! But if we can spend millions of dollars on feting our athletes, can't we think of using such money to strengthen the efforts of the numerous organisations in the country who have seen the light and could do the job.

I am, etc.,

MARIGOLD THORBURN

President, Parenting Partners Caribbean