Children’s abuse of parents ‘a hidden type of family violence’

Children who perpetrate violence against their parents is a problem “that’s very much under the radar” “but it’s happening everywhere” and research shows it’s most prevalent in middle-class families.

Declan Coogan, a lecturer in social work at NUI Galway, said it is a “hidden type of family violence” that comes in under “other types of referrals” made to social work departments.

Dr Coogan, who was addressing the sixth National Child Protection and Welfare Social Work conference at University College Cork yesterday, said Australian research has found child to parent violence and abuse (CPVA) is most prevalent in middle-class two-children families “with over-entitled kids”.