Avia Collinder, Sunday Gleaner Writer 
While research indicates that adolescents are particularly vulnerable to HIV/Aids, local counsellors are encouraging parents to be more proactive in their efforts to prevent their offspring from contracting the disease.
Counselling psychologist Faith St. Catherine, based at the Women's Resource and Outreach Centre in Kingston, is advocating a loving relationship between parent and child as a defence mechanism against contracting HIV/Aids.
"We need to nurture, look after and bring them up in such a way that they will be around to look after us," the counsellor stated at a recent community dialogue. "We need to create a loving, caring environment."
Mrs. St. Catherine stated that parents also needed to communicate with their children, instead of threatening to give them a "buss head".
Child abuse
According to the Child Development Agency, some 289 children died between 2005 and 2007 as a result of what could be classified as parental neglect and abuse.
Cherena Forbes, clinical psychologist assigned to the south east area region of the Child Development Agency, told The Sunday Gleaner that parents interested in increasing the safety of their children should begin disciplining them from early.
"You cannot allow them to do anything and then try to reign them in at adolescence. You can isolate, withdraw privileges and explain to the child why certain behaviours are unacceptable. Recognise that if you are very upset, it is not the time to hit them."
According to Faith St. Catherine, mental health is a first defence against behaviour that leads to physical ill-health and even death.
"People who are depressed and stressed make wrong decisions. We live in a culture where a lot of us are not brought up with love. Many of us turn around and do the same with our own children.
"If we do not want our children to get into relationships too early we must make our children feel that we love them. They are the most wonderful persons in our lives. We need to build our children's self-esteem.
"If they experience lack of love at home, they will run towards it outside, sometimes with the unfortunate consequence of pregnancy or HIV infection. We have to teach them what love is and set them a good example as well.
"We teach our young girls that the way to progress in life is to find a young man who will give them everything they need. That is setting a bad example," Mrs. St. Catherine said.
More talk, less 'buss head'
