Article 2: What causes "parents" to abuse their children?

In this article, "What causes parents to abuse their children", author Mary Bauer talks about some of the reasons for parents abusing their children. Such as the parents childhood, unrealistic expectations, lack of support, alcohol and drug abuse, and emotional disorders. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that state and local authorities investigated 3.7 million cases of suspected child abuse in 2008. Parents who grew up as abused children are more then likely to also abuse their children because of the family model they had while growing up. If anyone you know suffered from child abuse as a child and is now doing the same to their children recommend parenting classes and therapy. It can help teach them new ways to  deal  with the stressful aspects of raising children. Parents with unrealistic expectations are often surprised at exactly how much attention and care their child actually may need. This is more often found true for teen parents. Oregon State University Extension Service points out that parents also may become abusive if they have a child who is handicapped or difficult to handle because he or she then requires even more time and attention than what they expected. Caregiver support groups, therapy and parenting classes would be helpful to these type of parents. Parents with lack of support from family, and friends may be more likely to abuse their children often because they get stressed or overwhelmed with the day to day expectations and needs of their children. For these specific types of parents they might want to consider or look into hotlines which are usually available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These types of hotlines may be helpful for parents who just need someone to talk to. Something else that also may be very helpful to these types of parents is emergency shelters. Emergency shelters offer the parents the option to drop off their children for a while, when they feel they can't cope with them. Parents who do or deal with alcohol or drug abuse are three times more likely to abuse their children and four times more likely to neglect them. Parents who have emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses are less able to cope with the stresses of parenting and may be more likely to abuse their children. The author states that parents with these types of disorders have trouble caring for themselves and are even less able to take care of others. The authors purpose of writing this text is to educate others of reasons as to why parents abuse their children. Weather it be the parents fault or something the parent can not control. Mary Bauer's work is important because she extends the facts by telling about what type of help the parents could get for specific types or reasons for them abusing their child. Readers should care because if they know someone who acts out any of the characteristics above they should know how to react in such a situation.

Bauer, Mary. "What Causes Parents to Abuse Their Child."livestrong.com. 7 June 2010. 14 Oct 2012. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/142315-what-causes-parents-abuse-their-child/>.