Raising Awareness of Child to Parent Abuse (CPA)

Child & Adolescent to Parent Violence Awareness Day – 14th October

On 14th October, we recognise Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse Awareness Day—an important opportunity to highlight a form of abuse that is often misunderstood, under-reported, and unsupported: Child to Parent Abuse (CPA) or CAPVA (Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse).

CAPVA refers to repeated patterns of abusive behaviour by a child or adolescent—of any age—towards a parent or carer. This can also include abuse by adult-children and is distinctly different from the kinds of ‘challenging behaviour’ that many parents experience during adolescence.

The abuse can take many forms, including:

Physical or verbal abuse
Coercive control
Economic or digital abuse
Sexual abuse
Property damage
Harm towards pets or siblings

How Common Is CAPVA?

It’s estimated that at least 3% of UK families experience CAPVA, but the true figure is likely much higher. Research by London’s Violence Reduction Unit found that 40% of parents do not report the abuse they experience—due to fear, shame, guilt, self-blame, or concern that their child will be criminalised or removed from the home.

One of the biggest challenges in tackling CAPVA is the lack of a nationally agreed definition or response. This means support can vary drastically depending on the training and awareness of individual professionals and services.

The Lasting Impact of CAPVA

The effects of CAPVA are far-reaching. Parents and carers report:

Poor mental health
Feelings of fear, shame, isolation, and helplessness
Disruption to work, family life and relationships

For children and young people using abusive behaviours, the impact is equally serious. It can lead to long-term challenges with mental health, education, and life chances. The effects often extend to siblings and other family members whose wellbeing may be overlooked.

Preventing CAPVA: Our Work with Young People

At West Mercia Women’s Aid, we are committed to breaking the cycle of abuse—including child to parent abuse—through early intervention and prevention.

One of the ways we’re addressing this is through our Young Persons Prevention Project, a programme delivered across West Mercia in collaboration with The Right Path and Everyone’s Invited.

Our approach includes:

Education and awareness sessions in schools and colleges
Community-based support and mentoring for young people aged 11–18
1:1 and small group interventions tailored to individual needs
A trauma-informed model exploring healthy relationships, gender-based abuse, misogyny, and domestic abuse

These interventions are designed to support both those at risk of harm and those causing harm—helping young people to build healthier relationships and brighter futures.