able to talk about their torment. In a series on physical abuse behind closed doors, reporter Karen Smith looks at how parents can help to stem the problem.

Parents and teachers can help to prevent the spread of domestic violence by educating children about the need for respect of the opposite sex, experts have claimed.

It is a known fact that violence breeds violence and children who have suffered abuse, or even just witnessed abuse within their homes, will probably go on to be abusers.

That is why it is so important for parents who are being abused to seek help as soon as possible.

If they allow the battering to continue, they are not only exposing their youngsters to it, but could also be nurturing a violent bully.

Counsellor at The Physical Abuse Centre Nina Jones said it was important for parents to appreciate how vulnerable and impressionable children were.

She said: "Parents could prevent domestic violence of the future. It all comes down to education and teaching children and young teenagers that violence is not the route and mutual respect is deserved.

"We have to educate children in schools, in the home and in the community.

"If a child grows up in a home and sees his mother being regularly subjected to abuse, then he will grow up thinking it's okay.

"There is no doubt that domestic violence is often a family trait and somebody somewhere in the family has to stop the cycle. It will go on through generation after generation.'' Many men and women who are suffering at the hands of loved ones in their own homes choose not to leave for a variety of reasons.

Most love their partners and think them ideal in every other way - they just want the violence to stop - meaning they will never leave.

This is why it is so important that not only the victims, but the abusers, seek help, as domestic violence can be treated.

If victims fail to leave or seek help for their partners, then they are jeopardising the future of their children and exacerbating the problem.

But lawyer Susan Moore-Williams, of The Women's Resource Centre, said parents had to ensure their children were taught the right lessons at a very young age.

And that meant discipline, communication and time.

Ms Moore-Williams said even where parents had not experienced domestic violence, they had to prevent their children, even when in adulthood, from committing all kinds of abuse.

However, she said it was common for people to turn a blind eye.

She said it was not rare for mothers, in particular, to side with their sons if they found out they were beating up their girlfriends or wives.

She said: "I know of women who support men and sons who are badly treating girlfriends and wives. They blame the woman involved or, instead, choose to believe that their son would not do that. It has been made up.

"My fear is that nothing will change until we take responsibility for the upbringing of our sons and the equal upbringing of our children.

"Boys should be treated exactly the same as girls and disciplined the same way as girls. They should be taught to have respect for each other, along with respect for the opposite sex.

"If you bring up your son to be a male chauvinist pig, he is not going to turn into Prince Charming at the age of 18.

"Mothers need to remember that.'' CLUB CLB