That's good. I used to see the same victims again and again and sometimes felt so helpless. What was interesting is that there was no "type" of person who presented. I think that anyone can become a victim of physical, sexual and, commonly, psychological abuse, regardless of their background. That said, we know that being exposed to violence in childhood can lead to violent behaviour in adulthood. One patient I cared for many times was also being monitored by Social Services because her little boy was displaying angry and aggressive behaviour at school. I do think that schools should be better equipped to pick up on this. Because it is such a huge thing to start reporting your concerns and knowing that your reporting may result in a family being seperated makes it a very hard thing to do. I do think that these kids should be helped before they repeat the cycle. BTW, I don't think that this is just a negative story Gypsy, the fact that it has been reported in the press here could be seen as a huge step forward. JJ