Date

4-26-2024

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Todd Schultz

Keywords

ADHD, children, church support, ecological model, evangelical, parents, violence, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), parent development, worldview

Disciplines

Counseling | Psychology

Abstract

Child-to-parent violence (CPV) is a poorly understood and underreported phenomenon that involves physical, psychological, or financial damage by a child to gain control of a parent. There is a unique lack of literature on how a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may contribute to CPV. Ecological elements such as cultural, social, family, and individual factors impact the expression of aggression by these children as well as preclude parents’ help-seeking behaviors. The local church, an important agent of social support, has thus far remained silent on the issue of CPV and has been shown to underrecognize other forms of domestic violence (DV). There has been no identified research that addresses how parents of ADHD-diagnosed children experiencing CPV perceive the support that is available within their evangelical faith communities and view their development as parents as a result. This study revealed that evangelical parents (EP) perceive church support as a valuable element of support when managing the behaviors of their ADHD children. Participants reported that their child-rearing practices developed over time, primarily on a trial-and-error basis, in which they grappled with reconciling the teachings of the church with their unique parenting experience. The results are significant in that they highlight the value of church support, inform future studies on CPV from ADHD children, and point to practical implications for the church on how to interact with these families.

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