There is hope for combating child abuse as long as people are willing to talk about it and are given the resources to do the job, a visiting psychologist said.

Dr. Roger Phelps, an independent consultant from Boston, told a Friday workshop of Island parents and professionals at the Family Learning Centre that talking about children's issues is the first step in the battle against child abuse.

And dialogue at the community level is key in addressing the needs of children and their families, he said: "For many (of the) children it's clear that there are some problems at home,'' said Dr. Phelps, and most parents are only beginning to have an awareness of these issues, but there is confusion as to where to start and what resources are on hand to help families cope with abuse.

Dr. Phelps believes that with child abuse there needs to be continual dialogue, with increased emphasis on youth services and family resources.

One starting point would be at the school level he said, with schools providing trained counsellors and other specialists who can assess the needs not only of the child, but of the family as well.

Beyond the school, parents need to learn who they can trust and where they can turn to for help said Dr. Phelps, because professional help is available.

Other influences, such as the current debate over violence in the media, cause people to stop and think about the environment and risks faced everyday by families.

"Are we prepared? Are the resources in place? Are we able to provide services that work for the people?'' asked the veteran psychologist.

The largest gaps in the family safety net lies in assessing the problems that children have and services needed to aid in assessing these children.

"We are beginning to get better at finding what the needs of the child are and how to evaluate them.'' People today are willing to talk about what was once a taboo subject. Many have been ready for a while but have never found the way to begin talking.

"People need to notice there are services, advocate for these services.

Workshops, training, group, activities in the community where children are involved.'' he said.

"There is hope in talking about this sensitive subject. The real hope lies in people understanding the issues related to children and families.

"In doing this workshop I got the impression that people were feeling hopeful.''he said.

"This calls attention to the fact that we are no longer going to tolerate child abuse.'' Talk about it: Boston's Dr. Phelps told a workshop at the Family Learning Centre that communication is the first step in helping individuals and communities cope with child abuse.