lovetoknow

https://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Effects_of_Bad_Parenting_on_Children

Effects of Bad Parenting on Children

By Kate Miller-Wilson 15th January 2019

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Miller-Wilson is a freelance writer specializing in a range of subjects, including

photography, cars, crafts, autism, pregnancy, antiques, genealogy, and more. Kate has
written and edited for LoveToKnow since 2009 and loves the great variety of articles and
slideshows on the various channels of LoveToKnow.

Kate has a B.A. in English from Western Michigan University and has written hundreds of
articles for publication in online and print media. She's also adept at self-publishing,
having successfully crowd-funded a book on Kickstarter than will be released in the
coming months. Before becoming a freelance writer, Kate worked for several years as a
technical writer and software test script writer for the pharmaceutical and medical device
industries

While no one is the perfect parent, there are certain parenting behaviors that
can have serious negative effects on children. From mirroring what they
see at home to starting out well behind their peers, these kids are at a
disadvantage.
Seven Ways Bad Parenting Can Affect Children
Higher Risk for Psychological Disorders
Children who are raised in families dealing with abuse are far more likely to suffer from
psychological disorders, according to a study published in the journal Child Development.
Although no one psychological disorder stood out as particularly prevalent, these children were
at greater risk for disorders of all types. In addition, the study found that family relationships,
including relationships between siblings, were not as warm and loving as they are in other
families.

Related Articles
 Halloween Trivia for Kids
 Parent-Child Relationship Problems
 What Effect Does Parenting Style Have on Children in School?
Additionally, children who were directly abused themselves were far more likely than their peers
to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a study published in the
lovetoknow
https://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Effects_of_Bad_Parenting_on_Children
journal Child Abuse & Neglect. This was particularly true for sexual abuse, but it is also a
concern for other forms of child abuse.

Poor Performance in School

Neglecting a child, or failing to meet his or her basic human needs, can a have a dramatic effect
on school performance, according to a study published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect.
The study found that early neglect in particular was very harmful to children, preventing them
from forming social relationships at school and from learning at the same rate as their peers. The
study found that neglect was just as harmful in terms of school performance as direct abuse.

In addition, a study published in the journal Demography found that frequently moving and
uprooting a child resulted in poor performance in school. While frequent moves aren't always a
factor parents can control, it's important to consider the effect on the child before making several
moves.

Depression and Low Self-Esteem

According to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Research, parenting style can have a
direct effect on a child's self-esteem and vulnerability to depression. The study found that if
parents are extremely controlling, children are a greater risk for depression and don't see
themselves as positively.

Another study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that children
who were the victims of sexual abuse at home had much lower self-esteem than their peers. They
also showed more signs of depression and had negative views about their family relationships.

Violence and Behavior Problems

Exposing children to a community where there is significant violence can result in internalized
violence and behavior problems in kids, according to a study published in the American Journal
of Orthopsychiatry. The study also found that if children were victims of community violence or
violence at home, they were more likely to exhibit violent behavior in the preschool setting.

A study published in the Journal of Family Violence found that children who both witnessed and
experienced domestic abuse were far more likely to suffer from internalized anger and behavior
problems than their peers. This can lead to a "cycle of abuse," in which children grow up to
abuse others in the same way they were abused.

Failure to Thrive
When children have a failure to thrive in infancy and early childhood, they typically show slower
than normal growth, delayed mental development, and signs of malnutrition. An article
published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry found that failure to thrive was directly
related to parental neglect. Children were not receiving adequate nutrition to allow them to grow
at the same rate as peers.

Another cause of failure to thrive can be medical child abuse, according to a study published in
the journal Pediatrics. Medical child abuse involves parents subjecting kids to unnecessary
medical procedures and treatments. The study found that failure to thrive could be a sign that this
type of abuse is happening.
lovetoknow
https://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Effects_of_Bad_Parenting_on_Children
Problems with the Law
A study published in the International Journal of Child, Youth, & Family Studies found that
children who were neglected by their parents were more likely to be prosecuted for juvenile
delinquency. The study proposed additional research into the exact relationship between parental
neglect and juvenile delinquency.

Another study published in the journal Behavioral Sciences & the Law found that if mothers
have been juvenile delinquents, they were far more likely to give birth to children who had
antisocial behaviors and a tendency toward problems with the law themselves. The study
proposed that this could also be related to parental substance abuse.

Poor Social Adjustment

According to a study published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, boys who had
parents who exhibited violent behavior were likely to have problems adjusting socially in the
school setting. Although the boys had not been directly abused themselves, they exhibited many
of the same signs of social maladjustment as children who are victims of abuse.

Another study published in Merrill-Palmer Quarterly found that children who had hostile and
controlling parents were more likely to be socially distressed and disliked by peers.

If You Suspect Bad Parenting

There's no denying that bad parenting practices, such as neglect, abuse, and exposing children to
violence can affect a child's behavior and development. In many cases, getting help can reduce
some of these effects. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, contact the department
of Child Protective Services in your state.