This mixed-methods study — the first of its kind — examined harmful sexual behavior (HSB) directed at parents by their children, using UK referral data from 2,083 parents/carers seeking help for child-to-parent abuse (CPA) in 2023, plus in-depth interviews with 3 mothers and 5 practitioners.
HSB was present in 11% of referrals (n=236); 96% of victims were mothers. Children with HSB were significantly more likely to have been exposed to domestic abuse (44%) or physical/emotional trauma (71%), and HSB co-presented with physical abuse, coercive control, property damage, and financial abuse. Adoptive parents and child-aged (vs. adult-aged) offspring were significantly over-represented in the HSB cohort. Qualitative findings showed that fear of being blamed, trauma-insensitive professional responses, and a near-total absence of language and policy impede disclosure and help-seeking.
- Interview sample is very small (n=8, mothers only, sons only) and may not generalize to other gender dyads or service populations. - Referral data comes from a single UK organization serving the most chronic CPA cases, likely over-representing severity and under-representing families with psychiatric service pathways. - HSB was captured by a single survey item with limited frequency categories, and some referrals completed by professionals may have under-reported HSB.
Ask directly about HSB in every CPA assessment — parents rarely volunteer it, and early inquiry normalizes disclosure in a taboo-laden context. Apply trauma-sensitive practice in all cases, recognizing that mothers are frequently survivors of prior domestic/sexual abuse and that normalizing the HSB is a survival strategy, not acceptance.
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