Dear Editor:

While I applaud Patricia Susis obvious compassion for both the victims of domestic violence and the children who are exposed to such violence, ["The Forgotten Victims of Domestic Violence," September-October 1998] I have to disagree that adding on yet another possible charge for an act that is already criminalized is the answer to the problem. As a nation, whenever we are faced with criminal justice policies that dont work we tend to respond by simply doing more of the same. Add on more charges, more years, more threats -- as though those who abuse their spouses or their children do so only after a careful weighing of the potential legal consequences and we only need add a little more weight to the threat to make them choose instead the course of loving husbands and fathers.

As Ms. Susi recognizes in her article, most abusers were first those very same "forgotten victims of domestic violence" about which she writes. In fact, the very basis for her plea is recognition that children traumatized by violence early in their lives face deep psychological scarring. Yet I know of no therapist who would preach long term incarceration as a cure for early childhood trauma. Why are we so quick to recognize the need to help these abused children while they are still children, and yet so unwilling to acknowledge where they came from and the problems with which they still struggle once theyve grown into their parents clothing?

There are some organizations and individuals doing wonderful work with abusers, helping these now grown-up abused children work through the scars from their childhoods and learn how to function and thrive in relationships without violence. Yet these groups are much too few and far between; and those which do exist are barely scraping by, unable to serve even half of those who would benefit from their services because there just isnt enough funding. We have no money to invest in healing. But we can find $35,000 per year per person to lock up those who are so desperately in need of their help.

Forgotten victims of violence?

Indeed.

Cathy R. Kelly

St. Louis