Has your child crossed the line from acting-out to abusive and violent behavior?
When a child or teen starts using intimidation, violence and aggression to solve problems, it’s normal to feel frightened, angry, isolated, ashamed, and/or disbelief that it is even happening. As we frequently remind parents, there is no excuse for abuse. Even if your child has a diagnosis, or is going through a tough time, this type of behavior is never acceptable.
If violent and aggressive behavior is happening in your home, it’s important to learn effective strategies to keep everyone safe, help your child learn more appropriate means of solving problems, and hold your child accountable for the choice to become abusive.
The articles below provide information to assist you in dealing with abusive, violent and aggressive behavior in children.
If you have a child or teen who misbehaves, the holidays can be a source of infinite stress and anxiety. Your individual expectations of the holidays can be seriously at odds: you expect to have a nice, shared time with your whole family and maybe attend some larger family gatherings; they expect to get every… Read more »
“You know the kid that no one wants to play with? The kid who stands alone at recess or lunch? Who never gets invited to birthday parties? That’s my kid. And it breaks my heart.” When a child is aggressive toward others – hitting, screaming, pushing, throwing things – the natural response of the people… Read more »
Why does arguing with your child give him power? When you engage in fights with your child, over time he will begin to believe that he is your peer and that he has the power to challenge you. This is a loaded situation because your child doesn’t realize that this empowerment he’s feeling isn’t real…. Read more »
Does your head ever spin from all the suggestions you get about how to manage your young child’s temper tantrums or out-of-control behavior? Your in-laws tell you you’re spoiling your child, your best friend thinks you’re being too strict, and the other parents you know all seem to follow a different playbook. Related: How to… Read more »
We often forget that children aren’t born with a built-in sense of respect for others. While each child has a different personality, all children need to be taught to be respectful. From birth, kids learn to manipulate their world to get their needs met—this is natural. But it’s our job as parents to teach them… Read more »
When you have an oversensitive child with a hair trigger temper, it really puts you—and other family members—on edge. You begin to tip toe around him or her; you feel like you can’t be direct for fear of causing an angry, explosive response. You also start to feel responsible for your kid’s behavior and “take… Read more »
If your child is acting out physically by abusing you or other family members, destroying property or threatening others, taking proactive steps to work collaboratively and cooperatively with police can save a large degree of potential grief down the road. We understand that this is a very personal decision that every parent has to make… Read more »
Imagine a child born to alcoholic parents who abandoned him when he was still a baby, leaving him in his crib wearing nothing but a diaper. Miraculously, the child was discovered by the landlord, but was so sick he nearly died. The landlord’s son and his wife decided to adopt him and raise him as… Read more »
Do you feel like your teen tunes you out—or just plain ignores you—any time you make a request or try to have a real conversation? If you’re feeling this way, it’s probably not your imagination. This is a weapon adolescents have in their arsenal, and many use it to manipulate their parents passive-aggressively. Keep in… Read more »
What causes bad child behavior? James Lehman says it happens because children don’t yet know how to solve problems effectively. To put it another way, they’re trying to handle many of the situations that life throws at them by acting out. They do this, frankly, because it’s working for them. But here’s the truth: If… Read more »
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