Continued from Page 1 If your mother and father

Continued from Page 1

If your mother and father are fighting, he advised the group, “don’t escalate the situation by taking sides. Get help — call the Sheri.iffs Department.” i • Ms. Roberts told the audience '■that most incidents of domestic violence occur at night and on week:> ends, a fact corroborated by Deputy Jenkins. “Everybody works hard, -„and still there’s too little money,” ..she said. “Mom works and there’s no ' dinner on the table. On weekends, f there’s the alcohol bought with the n paycheck which should have come ihome to the family.” v’ Often domestic violence is tan- gled up with drug and alcohol abuse, she added. The abusive spouse has ' often been abused as a child, and has also often seen his own parents fall ^Victim to alcohol or drugs. They • don’t know any other way of life — ‘•and consequently, Ms. Roberts said, battery is the largest single cause of injury to women. ‘ • “We need to get rid of that alcohol and drugs, and allow people to 'love each other for who they are,” ■she said. “ “We’ve got to begin communicating. We need to get out from in front of the TV and start talking,” she ' added. She advocated a time for talking, even if it’s just five minutes, ►overy evening. “If your parents won’t do it, start with your brothers ■and sisters.”