Effects of Aggressive Parenting on Others

Typically children within the home are not the only ones negatively affected by the behavior and action of aggressive parents. The interactions they have with teachers, other students, and with other families are also highly affected and are in the general sphere of aggressive parenting. This is not an issue isolated in the home.

Pushy, aggressive parents seem to be making their mark in classrooms, as more and more complaints are reported everyday from teachers being abused or stressed out wondering what to do about the aggressive parents coming into their classrooms. One teacher posted on a board called Staffroom, asking for advise on a parent that is being “very pushy about her son’s progress and is constantly coming to see me, criticizing the work that we’re doing and complaining he isn’t being pushed hard enough” (Primary Teachers, 2009).

What makes parental aggression towards teachers even worse than the stress it causes the teacher and the relationship between them, is that that parent’s children then begin imitating that of the parent. The child makes the assumption that if his or her parent can treat the teacher that way, there must be a reason and they begin acting the same way, usually using the exact same words they heard from the parent. This is not always a public affair. When parents speak that way about the teacher at home and devalue what the instructor is trying to provide in the classroom, the child will re-enact those conversations and beliefs in the classroom, making it near to impossible for the instructor to get through to the child.

If parents weren’t exacerbating the problem enough by bringing hostility into the classroom, teachers are having to handle all of the other side-effects that come from hostility at home. Teachers are having to be trained on how to handle hostile parents while also handling a classroom full of children. Much of education time today is also being used to practice emergency procedures for “Lock Down” which is literally hostile parents entering the school with guns and other weapons. This is more common than one would like to think.

Parental aggression at home also affects the academic achievement of those students in the classroom. “Parental verbal aggression alone as separate and distinct from physical punishment contributes to lowering children's self-esteem and school achievements. Given the extent of the use of verbal aggression by ordinary parents the authors suggested a need for parent education on the topic of positive methods of child rearing” (Solomon, C. R. & Serres, 1999).

This is not taking into account the behavioral effects that parental violence at home creates. “Partner violence generated intense emotional stress when children believe their security is threatened by parental conflict, or when children believe they are responsible for parental conflict” (Moffitt, & Caspi, 1998).

School is difficult enough for students without the added pressures of violence at home. Parental aggression, and especially child abuse, open up a whole new world of problems for children and for schools.

“One woman was accused of taking a contract out on a high-school cheer-leader after her daughter failed to make the squad” (A poor-sport parent is ruining morale on the freshman basketball team, 1996).

Too many situations like this one are becoming more and more common in schools today. “Seven in ten PE teachers have witnessed violent or abusive behavior by parents at school sports matches, a new survey has revealed. Growing numbers of moms and dads behave as if they are watching Premiership football games on TV and shout abuse at the referee and even at their own players” (Daily Mail Reporter, 2008).

This happens in every sport in just about every high school. Parents are not only spreading the violent behavior at home, but they are bringing to school with them. Sometimes, other students “get in the way” of their child succeeding and they get to experience it too. Due to one parent’s problem many others are affected.

Violence and aggressiveness in the home is a problem that has its affects in many areas. Not only does it affect children mentally, emotionally and temperamentally, it affects the health, actions and even futures of the future generation.

However, violence is not a personal issue. It plays its part into student grades, the health and well-being of other children vulnerable to the actions of aggressive children, other people and families that have to suffer from the violence of parents, and even on taxpayers having to pay for the side effects of the violence.

This is a big issue that must be dealt with through education, action, and new policies. Without immediate action, society is allowing violence and aggressiveness to develop the future generation of adults.

To read about Aggressive Parenting and it's affect on children in the home, you'll have to read the article.

With proper training and support for parents, teachers, and students, the cycle of violence in homes can drastically decrease if not stop altogether. Let's look at a Plan of Action for Addressing Parental Violence.

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