IT IS BELIEVED THAT AMERICA'S SELF-CONCEPT AS A PEACE-LOVING, NONVIOLENT SOCIETY IS BELIED BY ITS HISTORY OF VIOLENCE AS A PRINCIPAL MEANS OF CONTROLLING AND ORDERING ONE'S ENVIRONMENT TO ELIMINATE THREATS AND ACHIEVE CONTROL OF ONE'S DESTINY. THIS HISTORY OF VIOLENCE AS A MEANS OF CONTROL IS BELIEVED INFLUENTIAL IN DETERMINING CHILD REARING PRACTICES THAT ACCEPT AND EMPHASIZE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AS A LEGITIMATE MEANS OF CONTROLLING CHILDREN. IT THEN BECOMES DIFFICULT FOR PARENTS UNDER STRESS, WHO FEEL INADEQUATE TO CONTROL THEIR CHILDREN BY ANY OTHER MEANS, TO SET THE LIMITS ON WHAT HAS BEEN TRADITIONALLY ACCEPTED AS A PARENTAL STRATEGY FOR CONTROLLING PROBLEM CHILDREN. OTHER ASPECTS OF AMERICAN CULTURE, SUCH AS PEER COMPETITION, THE ACQUISITION OF MONEY AND POWER AS MEASURES OF SUCCESS, AND THE USE OF MIND-ALTERING DRUGS TO DEAL WITH STRESS, ARE DEEMED CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN CREATING AN INTERNAL DYNAMIC OF STRESS THAT EXPLODES IN VIOLENCE TOWARD CHILDREN. COMPASSION, SKILL IN VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND NEGOTIATION, THE ABILITY TO ELICIT COOPERATIVE BEHAVIOR WITHOUT RECOURSE TO THREATENING PUNITIVE MEASURES, AND FLEXIBILITY ARE PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES SELDOM TAUGHT OR NOURISHED BY TRADITIONAL CULTURAL CONDITIONING IN AMERICA. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT AN INTENSIVE PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORT, PERHAPS FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BE LAUNCED TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO REORIENT THE VALUES THAT HAVE DETERMINED THE CITIZEN BEHAVIOR FOR GENERATIONS. (RCB)