Silenced Mothers: Exploring Definitions of Adolescent-to-Parent Violence and Implications for Practice

This paper highlights inconsistencies in how child/adolescent-to-parent violence (CPV) is defined. Definitions of CPV range from descriptions based on instances of physical assault to broad perceptions of violence, which include coercive control behaviours. Too much focus on physical violence has limited a broader exploration about the dynamics of CPV, which has disguised the gendered nature of this phenomenon. This literature review incorporates peer- reviewed quantitative studies, qualitative research with mothers, surveys of adolescents, youth justice court/law reviews, family therapy case studies and reviews of both “child-to-parent violence” and “adolescent-to-parent violence.” Key research in this area has overlooked the complex interplay between context, power and control dynamics that are clearly evident in the CPV experience. Reviewing the literature has uncovered how gender is rendered invisible and how research needs to move towards language such as: child/adolescent-to-mother violence or child/adolescent-to-mother abuse.