Parenting is not instinctive. If it were, everyone who had a child would be a good parent. Consequently, child abuse is a rising phenomenon in our society. Though no single factor has been identified as the cause of child maltreatment, it appears to be influenced by parents' histories, psychological resources, and economic status. Parenting must be learned. While this is often done through experience, education courses for individuals prior to their becoming parents, and close evaluation of questionable homes could enhance parents' knowledge and the childrens' well being. A large number of abusive parents have histories of physical and emotional abuse inflicted upon them during their childhood. Thus, they were deprived of parents who taught them how to be good parents. In describing how she felt when she realized her children were being abused, Jean states: "All of a sudden I could feel all the {old} anger back and {I was} wishing that someone would have protected me when I was little"(Janko 18). Child abuse scenarios that seem tragic to others are ordinary to parents from abusive backgrounds, and often overlooked. The absence of "good" parents is detrimental to a child's learning how to fulfill parental roles. The children think their environment is normal, correct, and acceptable, and grow to emulate that lifestyle. Sometimes abuse does not stem from a lack of knowledge, but rather from a psychological disorder. The majority of abusive parents "represent a range of personality and emotional disorders"(Justice 77). An authoritarian personality is characteristic of abusive parents, as well as "drug or alcohol dependency, neurosis, mental deficiency, and/or emotional immaturity"(Justice 77). Mothers make up the larger percentage of child abusers, representing 47.6%, while fathers only represent 39.2% of cases. The remaining cases are represented by friends or relatives(Justice 73). Most abusers range from 20 to 40 yea...
