We Need to Talk About Filial Domestic Violence

"When people hear the words domestic violence they usually think of intimate partner violence, but there is another form of domestic violence that's just as real and often just as dangerous, although few want to talk about it: Parents who are abused and sometimes killed by their own children. This is called filial domestic violence. In my work, it's not rare and it's not mild."

"I specialize in bipolar and psychotic disorder management. For over 20 years, I've coached parents and partners of people with bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. I live with bipolar disorder and a psychotic disorder myself and I wrote the first bipolar management book and the first book for a partner of someone with a serious mental illness. In that world, filial domestic violence is not an outlier. It's a daily reality."

Filial domestic violence occurs when parents are abused, threatened, or killed by their own children. This violence is common, often severe, and frequently linked to serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. Heavy cannabis use is often present in these situations. Many parents, especially mothers, minimize threats because of cognitive dissonance and familial loyalty, leading to denial of danger. Parents adopt safety measures like locking doors and keeping grandchildren away, yet removal or accountability for the child is often resisted. Online support and long-term clinical experience reveal this phenomenon as a persistent, everyday reality for many families.

Read at Psychology Today