I, as a Fault—Condemnation of Being and Power Dynamics in the Parent-Child Interaction

This article explores the power dynamics underlying verbal abuse within the parent-child interaction. Through a reception-based approach, it focuses on condemnation acts of being (e.g., you are a good for nothing) directed by abusive parents towards their children and reported by the latter in anonymous testimonies published on the Francophone Instagram account Parents toxiques; a sample of ten testimonies is examined. The analyses conducted show that (i) the ontological assertion of power over the other is constructed from the predicative level, with processes that concern their being in its entirety and present condemnation as an objective reality. (ii) The condemnation of being draws its pragmatic force from its legitimisation—by relying on norms presented as self-evident and universal and by highlighting the harm caused by the other. (iii) As a speaker, constructing the other’s being as at fault involves, to varying degrees, essentialising and downgrading them as well as conflating their intrinsic worth with one’s beliefs and needs. In conclusion, the notion of condemnation acts of being—along with its descriptors—provides an effective framework that can be applied to reports and direct observations to help various professionals identify and assess transgressions and/or dysfunctions in authority relationships.