I have mentioned previously the hub page: The silent suffering of parent abuse when children abuse parents. This was started around 3 years ago by Lou Purplefairy and includes information about how to recognise parent abuse, suggestions of where to go for help and an empassioned plea for greater recognition and support for parents. There are over 100 comments on the thread, some from parents describing their experiences and others offering advice and support.
“Parent abuse is a serious problem”
A tragic story today from Tulsa, of a son, charged with the murder of his mother. There was apparently a history of violence from him in their relationship and he had been arrested in the past for domestic violence assault and battery as the accompanying video makes clear.
Missy Iski, Director of Programs and Counseling at DVIS, comments on the piece, encouraging people to talk more about the serious problem of parent abuse. She gives phone numbers of helping agencies in the Tulsa area.
I was reminded of a journal article from Walsh and Krienert of 2009 which drew distinctions between child to parent violence and parricide. Their own study suggested that these were two distinct problems. Nevertheless, abused parents report frequently feeling fearful for their lives, sometimes with good cause as demonstrated here.
Filed under news reports, publications
Reading about adolescent to parent abuse
A couple of years ago, I briefly joined a reading group. I had been encouraged to believe that the discipline would enable me to find space in my life to explore books I might not otherwise choose to read. It worked – but unfortunately only for me in that particular group. As I stare at the monumental pile on my desk now, which includes books I purchased over five years ago, I feel rather contrite and certainly less judgmental towards my onetime comrades. Continue reading
Filed under Discussion, publications
A PhD in Child to Parent Violence
A unique opportunity is advertised this week for students interested in undertaking funded research into the gendered aspects of CPV, under the guidance of Dr. Paula Wilcox at the University of Brighton.
Full details here.
Applications by January 25th, study begins February 2013
Filed under Research
A Review of Parent Abuse in 2012
Looking back over the last year, I was re-reading my post of January 1st 2012, which I concluded by saying
As we enter the new year, the task before us is to clearly and honestly set out the facts of parent abuse, without resorting to scare mongering and without blaming one side or another; and to do so in a way that politicians, policy makers, practitioners and public all come to recognise that abuse for what it is, and seek to support the whole family to turn their lives around.
2012 certainly proved to be an interesting and exciting year in the field of parent abuse work as people got to grips with the task at hand! Continue reading
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“If Lanza ( ) had been confronted by a qualified armed, security guard ..”
I was hesitant about wading in on the debate in the wake of the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut a week ago. While we were all so shocked by the senseless deaths of so many children, school staff, and the gunman’s own mother, and without proper context, it did not seem appropriate to draw attention to a possible link with my own cause; but in the wake of the NRA response, which calls for even greater arming of the population, I feel no such restraint. Continue reading
Filed under Discussion, news reports
Adolescent to parent abuse in print
Great to see Amanda Holt’s book published this week!
This represents a real milestone in acknowledgement of the issue of parent abuse, with the first academic book entirely devoted to the issue in Britain. Not quite the go-to book for Christmas present ideas maybe, but definitely one to slip through for yourself.
You can read more about it on the Policy Press blog.
Filed under publications
Jailed for life for killing his mother
There was coverage in the media in Britain this week of the tragic case of Leah Whittle, stabbed to death by her son, then aged 16 years, in “a ferocious attack” in July this year. The killing is presented as an isolated act of violence, though coming from a disturbed family situation. The death of a parent is not always linked with previous patterns of parent abuse, and there is much here that we do not know. Continue reading
Filed under Discussion, news reports
Responding to parent abuse in Hillingdon: safeguarding adults as well as children.
I was privileged to speak last month at the London Borough of Hillingdon Safeguarding Conference, where I gave a presentation on parent abuse to around 160 delegates from health, social care, education and youth justice, as well as council members. Before I’d even started, I was excited to hear from the chair of the Children’s Safeguarding Board that they have developed a cross-over with the Adults Board, where shared issues are brought to attention, such as substance use and mental health. There seemed a real possibility that parent abuse might also be discussed here in future – more of that later. Continue reading
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Parent Abuse: a parent’s worst nightmare?
“A parent’s worst nightmare” is a phrase which seems to come up all too often these days, and leaves me wondering how many worst nightmares there could be, as it is used in relation to children who are the victims of bullying, predatory abuse, abduction, drug addiction, suicide … the list is seemingly endless. This is not to belittle the experiences of these parents. For each individual parent experiencing one of these events it will indeed seem like their worst nightmare, just as will the reality of being abused by your own child. But perhaps we need to move away from hyperbole towards a calmer rendering of events. As we talk about our passions and commitment to our work we can believe that descriptions of the extreme will further our cause as they “whip up” emotional responses and “convert” people to our way of thinking and understanding. That can happen, but there can also be interesting and unexpected side effects, not least in the unconscious ways we come to construct our own belief systems through the words and phrases we repeat. Continue reading
Filed under Discussion
HOLES IN THE WALL 