Like parent, like child. A health promoting hospital project.

One way to reduce the need and demand for hospital services is via health promotion initiatives. A prenatal instructors' education module preventing the learning of violence as acceptable behaviour by children in their first year of life was developed by a health promoting hospital in partnership with its community. Children learn through observing significant adults in their life. Parents are important influences on the children's behaviour, and good (or bad) patterns are passed on from generation to generation. Some abuse occurs because people (primarily males) lack the skills to resolve conflict and stress in a positive way and resort to abuse. The project's intent is to help expectant parents reduce abusive behaviours. This parental modelling awareness program has the potential to be introduced into different high risk groups, day-care centres and multicultural settings.