When Teens Abuse Their Parents

Barbara Cottrell

This book is about the what, who, how and why of parent abuse. Cottrell breaks the silence around this seldom mentioned but all too widely occurring problem. In it we hear the stories of parents who have been abused by their children, most of whom are teenagers. We also hear the stories of the children who abuse. But this book is not just an exposé of the problem. It offers advice, guidelines and help for both parents and abusive children. While recommending professional help from counsellors and community workers, the author also discusses how parent support groups have been helpful in letting parents know that they are not alone. Out of her experience in conducting workshops and developing community response networks, Cottrell offers a wide range of options for parents in trouble and advocates a far reaching program for developing community awareness.

Contents

• Parents’ Stories
• What is Parent Abuse?
• More Parents’ Stories
• Who is Abused?
• Teens Speak
• Who is Doing the Abusing?
• The Final Blow
• Looking for Causes
• Information and Support
• Supportive Listeners
• The Ultimate Goal: Regaining Control and Healing the Relationship
• Spreading the Word
• Conclusion: Help Wanted
• Index

About the Author

Barbara Cottrell is an independent researcher, writer and adult educator, who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Working with a coalition of community groups, Cottrell designed and facilitated a groundbreaking
community-based research project on parent abuse and wrote the Health Canada report, Parent Abuse: The abuse of parents by their teenage children, in 2001.

Excerpt

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