"Maria" ended up in A and E after being assaulted by her 11-year-old child. There’s nothing unusual about children being rude or sometimes abusive to their parents, particularly when they’re adolescents. But some parents are attacked and abused by their children on a regular basis. It’s a pattern of behaviour that can begin as young as three years old and become unmanageable by teenage years.

Many parents remain silent out of shame and out of fear of the consequences if they seek help, worried that their child may be taken into care or criminalised. So it’s a hidden problem. The issue is now on the government’s agenda with a consultation that’s aiming to find a common definition for the issue. Jo Glanville talks to parents, practitioners and researchers about what happens in families when a child becomes violent, what should be done to support them and what lies behind this kind of behaviour.

Presented and Produced by Jo GlanvilleExecutive Editor: Bridget HarneyResearch: Maia Miller-LewisStudio Manager: Jon CalverActors: Jayne Ashbourne and Juliet CowanA Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Organisations in the programme offering information or support on child to parent violence:

Family LivesParentline family support and bullying helpline | Family Liveshttps://www.familylives.org.uk/how-we-can-help/confidential-helpline

CAPA First ResponseCapa First Response | You are not alone - Capa First Responsehttps://capafirstresponse.org/

Talk Listen ChangeYoung People’s Programmes - TLC: Talk, Listen, Change (talklistenchange.org.uk)https://talklistenchange.org.uk/project/young-peoples-programmes/

Holes in the WallHOLES IN THE WALL | documenting parent abusehttps://holesinthewall.co.uk/