Achi news desk-
The anger and aggression of children towards their parents is on the rise. Here, three victims talk about their harrowing experiences, from physical outbursts to school refusal, and the sense of calm and order restored through the Parental Nonviolent Resistance Program.
“Child-to-parent violence is often described as the ‘secret side’ of domestic abuse, because parents who experience it struggle so much to talk about it, or even admit it’s happening.” Illustration: Paula Delagan
Child-to-parent violence is often described as the ‘secret side’ of domestic abuse, because parents who experience it find it so difficult to talk about it, or even admit it’s happening. There is an even greater sense of shame around him than the shame that can surround the more familiar forms of domestic abuse such as spouse to spouse, or parent to child. There is also a strong sense of loyalty – parents, by nature, will mostly try to protect their children at all costs. And sometimes this cost is on themselves.
And yet, it is on a huge rise. Calls to Parentline, the national confidential helpline offering support for all aspects of parenting related to this form of domestic violence, have seen a dramatic and alarming rise in recent years. Eileen Hickey, CEO of Parentline, talks about “a 500 unit increase in our demand and delivery. Now, one out of every three calls refers to child-to-parent violence, and 40% of all calls if verbal violence is taken into account. We tripled the number of volunteers, and still can’t keep up.”
