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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this paper by Ney and Mulvihill was to present an examination of the underlying dynamics of parent abuse by children.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors employed a non-experimental case history design to investigate some of the possible causes of children abusing their parents. Some of the possible dynamics were mentioned: abused children might retaliate when they become sufficiently independent and developed; children suffering from neglect might be expressing rage and feelings of deprivation; aggression might be an incidental expression of learned violence; and children of parents who are unable to cope with life might be forcing their parents to regain control. The authors employed this case study design as an illustration of many of these dynamics.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The authors examined the case of Mark, a 14 year old adopted boy of divorced parents who had both suffered from deprived childhoods and who wanted to do better for their own children. However, at age 7 Mark was kidnapped by his adoptive father and the two spent the next 6 years moving around and living wherever they could. As Mark became increasingly more unmanageable, the father sent him back to his mother, supposedly as a temporary measure. However, Mark realized that this move would be permanent, as his father's new fiancee did not want such a boy for a child. Mark was devastated at the broken promise of his father to provide him with a secure home. Mark was unhappy living with his mother, and became ever more demanding and obnoxious, to the point of becoming physically violent both with his mother and with his sister. He was extremely intelligent, and found school to be very boring. In psychotherapy sessions, Mark said that he felt as though he had been deprived of a reasonable childhood, and his rage grew and was directed at whoever appeared to be depriving him. Mark's parents felt guilty about failing to provide for their son, and they tried to console him with material possessions, rather than with time and attention. Mark's demanding behavior was reinforced, as his parents acquiesced to his wishes. His self-concept was tenuous at best, and he desperately protected the growing awareness of his identity. Mark went into hospitalized treatment for a short period, and gradually his depressed state subsided and he began to accept the inevitability of his family situation. He turned to a utilitarian view of life, realizing that others would care for him only as much as he cared for them. In order to vicariously experience the feelings of being nurtured and fathered, Mark became an assistant coach of a basketball team of young boys. Although the authors were impressed by his pro-social activities, they expressed concern about the potential for violence that lay beneath the surface of Mark's thin layer of self control. The authors suggested that this case could illustrate some of the underlying dynamics in the phenomenon of parent abuse.
EVALUATION:
The authors present an interesting case history of parent abuse. However, the presentation occurs in an isolated fashion - it would have been much more helpful had the authors suggested some implications of their case study for prevention and intervention planning, as well as for treatment issues. A case study on its own makes for interesting reading, but does little to further scientific study and to aid in the practical application of knowledge in the field. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Family Relations
KW - Domestic Violence Causes
KW - Domestic Violence Offender
KW - Parent Abuse Offender
KW - Parent Abuse Causes
KW - Parent Child Relations
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Adult Parent
KW - Adult Victim
KW - Parent Victim
Language: en |