Why do parents abuse their children?
(Note: Parents are the most frequent child abusers. But other guardians, e.g., parents’ friends, relatives, may also be involved.) Often, it’s in reaction to past or present problems or stresses they can’t cope with, such as: • UNMET EMOTIONAL NEEDS: Parents who can’t relate well to other adult may expect children to take care of parents, satisfy their need for love, protection, self-esteem. • FREQUENT CRISES: Financial, job, legal problems, major illness, etc., can cause a parent to “take it out” on a child. • POOR CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES: Many abusive adults were mistreated themselves as children and have a poor, self-image. • DRUG OR ALCOHOL PROBLEMS: Such problems limit parental ability to care properly for children. Most abusive parents are “normal.” Relatively few are “criminal” or mentally unbalanced.
Although studies show that a parent is the most frequent child abuser, other guardians, e.g., parental friend or relatives may also be involved. Often, abuse is a reaction to past or present problems or stresses the abuser can’t cope with, such as: UNMET EMOTIONAL NEEDS: A parent who does not relate well to other adults may expect children to take care of the parent, satisfy their need for love, protection, self-esteem or other needs. FREQUENT CRISES: Finances, job, legal problems, major illness, etc., can cause a parent to “take it out” on a child. POOR CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES: Many abusive adults were mistreated themselves as children and develop a poor self-image. This causes a generational cycle of abuse, where children who have been abused often become abusers to their own and/or other children. DRUG OR ALCOHOL PROBLEMS: Such problems limit parental ability to care properly for their children.
