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They're teen-agers, they're mothers, they're high school dropouts, they're poor. In their lives there are few accomplishments without great struggle and even fewer celebrations.
So when most of the 30 young mothers enrolled in the Business Industry School's Teen Parenting and Child Care Program gathered Friday in the toy-filled, brightly colored room where they usually bare their souls, the occasion was festive if not downright momentous.
They had successfully gotten through the week without hitting their children. For the most part.
"No Punishment Week" was the culmination of two months of learning parenting skills and alternatives to what Director Ruth Beaglehole considers forms of violence against children: smacking, hair-pulling, name-calling or verbal humiliation.
The mothers come to the Mid-City school-one of the Los Angeles Unified School District's adult occupational centers-with toddlers in tow and hopes of finally earning high school diplomas. Parenting is part of the curriculum.
Sitting in a large circle on tiny chairs, the young women with faces of girls, some with their children, were praised by Beaglehole and given ornately scripted certificates of recognition from Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg.
"This is a stupendous week!" exclaimed Beaglehole, who is counselor and confessor to the group. "I want to congratulate you for a week of no hitting, no violence."
Beaglehole stood in the middle of the circle and singled out mothers with a call to stand up.
"Antonia, you did it, woman!" Beaglehole said. "What do you want to say?"
"That I gave him no violence," Antonia said.
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Beaglehole turned to the group of...