Frequently Asked Questions

About Child to Parent Abuse:

  • What is CPA?

    Child to Parent Abuse does not have a set legal definition, but is generally seen as an ongoing pattern of abusive behaviour towards a parent, carer or guardian.


    It's thought to impact at least 3% of UK households and can involve a child of any age, including adult offspring.


    Abuse can be physical, emotional, verbal, financial, sexual or a combination, and has a profound impact on the parent's physical and mental health, lifestyle, work, social life and often sees them feeling isolated.


    Find out more here

  • What can I do if I know someone is experiencing CPA?

    If a friend or family member is experiencing CPA, it’s very important to listen to them and tell them you believe them. Don’t tell their child what’s been said or confront the child, and do not make light of or minimise their experience. Encourage them to speak to a professional about the matter (and support them with this, if you can).


    You may be the only person they have told, so it is very important to listen, remain calm, do not judge them, their choices or their child. Above all, be kind and supportive. 

  • How does CPA affect a family?

    The environment created means that the family are living in constant fear, worry and stress.


    Parents often feel, shame, blame and embarrassment. Parents can often feel a sense of betrayal when they disclose their child’s behaviours, so it is equally as important for parents to be reassured that they are not betraying their child.


    Without intervention the family is at risk of breakdown.

  • Who is impacted by CPA?

    Any family can be impacted by CPA – and there are many professional parents working as police officers, solicitors and social workers who are experiencing abuse from their child. In fact, their career is often used as a tool by the child – who may threaten to spread false accusations, for example, in order to coerce them into certain behaviours.


    Among the risk factors identified are societal issues, having an absent parent, previous incidents of intimate partner domestic abuse in the household, and mental ill health. But in reality, there is no singular reason why CPA begins and it can impact families regardless of where and how they live. Two thirds of our families have never experienced domestic abuse before, so it cannot be assumed that children are replicating behaviours they have seen from caregivers.

  • What is the law around CPA?

    There is no legal definition of CPA, although this type of abuse is now recognised within the statutory guidance documents produced as part of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.


    Domestic abuse is currently only legally recognised where the person displaying the abusive or violent behaviour is aged 16 or above.


    In contrast, many of the parents PEGS works with report their child was as young as five when they began displaying CPA behaviours.


  • Do we know the true extent of CPA?

    As with all types of domestic abuse, CPA is drastically under reported. This is exacerbated by the shame many parents feel, in addition to the fear that they will be blamed, disbelieved, or have their children taken away. Parents often feel torn, needing support for the escalating problems but also wanting to protect their child from the potential consequences if their behaviour is reported.


    It's also under-researched, although thankfully there are an increasing number of academics looking into CPA and its impact upon individuals, families and society.


Useful links:

About PEGS:

  • Does PEGS support children?

    PEGS only works with parents, carers and guardians - as it was felt there was a gap in service provision where parents' voices were not being heard.


    PEGS partners with a range of wonderful organisations whose expertise is in working with the children displaying abusive behaviours, and we will always try to signpost parents towards avenues of support for their child.

  • Do I have to pay to access PEGS' services?

    We never ask parents to contribute financially towards the support they receive from PEGS, because we believe finances shouldn't be a barrier to accessing help.


    We also know that more than two thirds of PEGS parents have had to reduce their hours or leave work altogether as a result of the behaviours they are experiencing.

  • How can I support PEGS?

    Firstly, thank you for wanting to help.


    If you're able to, you can contribute to PEGS using the donate button at the top of this page - all funds collected go towards running costs and parent services.


    You can also follow us on social media and share our posts to raise awareness, join in on events, and talk to people you know about CPA.

  • Where is PEGS based?

    We have offices in Shropshire and Derbyshire, but our services are all virtually-delivered to ensure we can support parents across the UK.


    Most of our professional training is also completed online - but please ask us if you'd like us to deliver an in-person session, as that's certainly something we'd be happy to consider.

  • What do we expect from parents?

    We ask you to share an accurate and detailed account of what’s going on in your home, so that we can properly process your referral and ensure you receive support which aligns with your needs. We also ask that you treat PEGS staff and volunteers with respect at all times, we are a small but very dedicated team who work incredibly hard to deliver the best services possible.


    Sadly, demand is always high so there may be a delay in us responding to you but we’ll always do our best to reply as quickly as we can. Dealing with rude and disrespectful behaviour not only negatively impacts the team, it can also disrupt services and therefore impact you and the other parents we support.

  • What type of organisation is PEGS?

    PEGS is a social enterprise, meaning we are a not-for-profit which uses any income which comes from  our professional training to cover running costs and to provide our parent services. 

Media and Events:

  • Can you provide a case study for the media?

    We are always happy to ask our parents if they will share their story for particular media stories. We will always ask for them to remain anonymous, including: their name either changed or not used, no details which would identify them,


    For broadcast packages some parents will agree to be filmed but they should be either blurred out, in silhouette or only filmed from an angle which doesn't show their face. 


    For broadcast/radio, some parents may ask for their voice to be obscured or for an actor to voice their words.

  • Do you have media guidelines around reporting on CPA?

    Our guidelines for media reporting on CPA can be found here.

  • What's the latest news or research on CPA?

    We regularly update our blog with announcements and new research publications - you can find our blog here.

  • Can PEGS speak at my event?

    Please email admin@pegsupport.com with as much detail as you can about the event, and we'll get back to you about whether we're able to attend.

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