Children are innocent, naïve, vulnerable and easily impressionable. They look up to their parents for love and guidance. Unfortunately, some parents care very little about their child’s emotional health and stability. They use their own children as a weapon to take some sort of perverted revenge against their partners. Such circumstances arise mainly during or after separation or divorce between parents.
When one parent tries to ruin a kid’s relationship with the other parent, it is called Hostile Aggressive Parenting or HAP. The hostile aggressive parents use the vulnerability of their children and force them to have a negative opinion about the other parent. This way they diminish the healthy relationship between a parent and his or her kids.
The effects of Hostile Aggressive Parenting on kids are disastrous. They start feeling guilty for talking to their other parent and often stop communicating with them.
They also feel threatened of losing both their parents and become depressed. Parental Alienation Syndrome is quite common among these children. They avoid speaking to their parents and create distance with the victim parent. Manipulating the emotions of a kid is a punishable offence and every parent should stay away from such aggressive activities.
It is important for the victimized parent to recognize the signs of Hostile Aggressive Parenting or else they will not be able to tackle the situation.
The Hostile Aggressive Parents will badmouth the other parent relentlessly and try their best to create prejudices against them in the child’s mind. They will try to stop the victimized parent from contacting with the kids. Even grandparents, stepparents or other guardians may act as a Hostile Aggressive Parent.
HAP can have a long lasting negative impact on the psyche of kids who face it. Children cannot directly protest against such malicious and manipulative behavior.
They are confused about which parent is right for them. Parents are often advised by counselors not to let their personal issues with their partners affect the life and emotions of their children. HAP invariably leads to PAS or Parental Alienation Syndrome. Affected kids start hating the innocent or victimized parents.
This may help the aggressive parent win the custodial battle but they will never be able to control the side effects of preaching aggression to their kids.
Summary:
Hostile Aggressive parenting is a type of emotional abuse. Millions of kids become victims of such behavior. They are provoked to hate one of their parents and sever all ties with them.
