Everyday many children are becoming the victims of abuse one form or other. Children have limited resources of their own to combat traumatic experiences. Moreover, exposure to "western thinking" has brought about changes in attitudes towards traditional methods of guidance, discipline, and other child-rearing practices (Mullati, 1995; Sinha, 1984, 1988). However, because traditional attitudes have not been completely abandoned, many parents alternate between permissive and strict (authoritarian) child rearing, thus creating anxiety and confusion in children and making them more vulnerable to...