ABSTRACT
Ethical rules in any society function as the boundary of acceptable behavior. Much ethical thinking in western culture owes a great debt to German philosopher Immanuel Kant. It is illegal in New York State for foster carers to use physical punishment. New foster carers are often more stunned than the folk in the bar when they come face to face with the violence their foster children have suffered. For foster carers and adopters, the emphasis will not be on rules and techniques, but on how to become a certain kind of person who will best be able to re-parent children. A loving nonviolent re-parent does not merely empathize with children, or think about the abuse they have suffered and how to repair the damage, he makes a choice to act in a certain way. He helps the children in his care overcome the effects of violence in their lives. He helps train the children in nonviolence.
