An Exploratory Study on Child-Parent Abuse: Nature, Cause and Effect of Abusing Parents by Their Own Children in Gulele Subcity of Addis Ababa

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Date

2016-05

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

Child-Parent abuse is a velY sensitive and complex issue like that of other types of abuses in thefamity. Though, it has received very limited attention and recognitionfrom researchers and concerned bodies. In Ethiopia there are no organized data which shows its prevalence. Creating an mvareness of the problem is essential to provide an adequate help for the victims or to follow up planed intervention methods. To feel this gap, a phenomenological study was conducted based on the lived experience of 1 0 parents (6 mothers and 4 fathers) who are experiencing CPA in Gulele sub city of Addis Ababa. Data were collected using an in-depth interview with this parents and the researcher's observation; and it was analyzed simultaneously with interpretative analysis method. The jinding of the study shows that some parents have suffered a great deal ji-om the various acts of abuses by their own children. In general, it was identified that the abuses includes verbal, physical, andjinancial and material exploitations. The verbal abuse includes, constant insults, threatening to harm, humiliation and demeaning reactions. The jinancial and lIlaterial exploitation or abuse consists of stealing money or parents' belongings, demanding the parent to buy things knowing that they can 't afford and selling possessions of theirs or their parents' and destroying the parents' belongings. And a serious incident fi'om choking and slapping to the use of weapons resulting grave bodily injuries is included under the physical abuse nature of CPA. Because of this parents are suffering stigmafrom their neighbours and fro 111 the society, physical injuries, emotional and psychological problems. It is found out that the abusive Childs' addiction (of alcohol, khat and substance abuse); economic dependency or unemployment, past abusive experience of the parent and negative peer injiuence are the major causes. The parents take reporting the abuse to the police as a last measure after having to deal with it for a long time. All measures the parents took to handle the situation are unsatisfactory to them; because they want ending the abuse not their relationship with their child. Therefore the necessOlY allention and professional response is indispensable.

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Child-Parent abuse is a velY sensitive

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