Citation

Laurent A, Derry A. J. Adolesc. Health 1999; 25(1): 21-26.

Affiliation

Department of Child Psychiatry, CHU Grenoble, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10418881

Abstract

PURPOSE: To determine the social, familial, and psychiatric characteristics of children who batter their parent(s); and to report clinical vignettes of this phenomenon and contexts which precipitate such violence. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we analyzed the medical records of the 645 children hospitalized in a child and adolescent psychiatry department between 1987 and 1996. RESULTS: The principle findings were that: (a) 3.4% of the patients demonstrate parent battering; (b) the average age of parent batterers is 14 years old, and they are predominately male; and (c) their mothers are more often the victims than their fathers, and there is a high frequency of psychiatric disorders among parents. Seven clinical vignettes have been presented to represent different family contexts of the 22 cases of domestic violence in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are needed to deepen our knowledge of violence perpetrated by adolescents toward their parents. A better knowledge of etiological mechanisms involved would permit more preventative action for families at risk.

Language: en