When breast beats – Aftenposten

Why do some parents violence against their children, and how they explain even this violence?

This week launches NKVTS a research that focuses on parents, particularly mothers, violence against children.

Norwegian scale studies show that between 20 and 30 percent of the population have experienced violence from parents in childhood.

Percussion, lugging, pinching and shoving

Most of these have experienced so-called ‘less serious’ violence, which in this context means violence without major physical damage potential, for example, the kind with flat hand, pulling, pinching and shoving.

But even if such violence is characterized as less severe, perceived it as intimidating, threatening and insulting to the children, and research suggests that it may have adverse consequences in the long term.

Men commit the most serious violence in close relationships. But it is also true that mothers are behind a significant proportion of violence against children and adolescents.

The “common” violence

Often, the overlap between mental and physical violence against children, and some studies show association between exposure to less severe violence and risk for more serious violence. Therefore, the focus is also on the less serious violence is important.

Using violence against children are taboo in Nordic societies, and many feel maternal violence even more associated with shame and violations than fathers violence.

It was the starting point for our interview study with a group of mothers who have used violence and / or illegitimate physical force against their children.

We wanted the mothers’ views on why violence situations occurred .

The frustration and inadequacy

The mothers put the violence in context with anger, aggression and frustration aimed at kids, but also with difficult life situations, characterized by stress, duplication and experiences of being inadequate and powerless.

The violence can be understood in the context of earlier life experiences – more by women has experienced violence, either in childhood, adulthood, or both.

It is important to point out that exposure to violence is not exempt from liability for acts of violence.

Attitudes to parenting

Some of the violence women told about you understood on the basis of traditional attitudes toward child rearing – attitudes that children should obey and respect their parents, and that children must be punished when they do as parents say.

Part of violence instrumental purposes where violence is used as a means to achieve a goal in the upbringing of children – so-called ‘educator violence’.

The mothers feel guilt and shame for what they have done. However, their actions can be understood as manifestations of the power of parents over children, which is maintained through violence because children depend on their parents’ care and protection.

Research for Prevention

It is ever much we do not know about violence against children in Norway.

Major studies on parental attitudes and self-reported use of violence has been repeatedly performed in our neighboring Nordic countries, but not in Norway – here we have a challenge .

Research-based knowledge of those who use violence against their children may increase our understanding of the phenomenon and contribute to better prevention.

See also:

public health nurse Solveig Ude: “Therefore, I ask the parents if they beat»

Carl Alfred Dahl commented: “Switches to your child, then? “

Reporting from Fredrikstad: Angry mothers learn to stop beating on anger management courses