Understanding adolescents’ responses to psychologically abusive parenting : a mixed-methods study with implications for prevention and practice

Objectives: The harmful effects of psychological abuse (PA) are well recognized. However, the disclosure of such experiences remains relatively under-researched. Previous studies have primarily focused on the disclosure of child sexual abuse. International research shows considerable variation in adolescents’ disclosure rates of psychologically abusive parental behavior. Notably, existing studies suggest that peers are the most common recipients of such disclosures, whereas formal recipients such as social workers or police are less frequently addressed. Despite international evidence, understanding of how adolescents assess disclosure strategies in response to PA and how quantitative findings relate to their subjective perspectives remains limited. As adolescents’ expectations can shape disclosure decisions, insights into these processes are crucial for developing trustworthy support services and encouraging help-seeking. Methods: As part of a sequential mixed-methods design, data from N=1.402 adolescents aged 12–16 living in the canton of Zurich who completed an online questionnaire were analyzed. The survey measured participants’ experiences of psychologically abusive parenting (CAMI; DiLillo et al., 2010; Nash et al., 2012) and the frequency with which they disclosed these experiences. Subsequently, a subsample of n=28 students participated in seven group discussions based on a vignette depicting psychological abuse through 'terrorizing' and 'threatening' behaviors. The discussions served to validate and deepen the quantitative findings. Transcripts of the group discussions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings: Descriptive analyses showed that 584 students (41.7%) reported having experienced psychologically abusive parental behavior. Among 424 (72.6%) students who indicated being affected by these experiences, 187 students (44.1%) disclosed them. Most disclosures were made to peers, and only 26 students (13.9%) disclosed to professionals outside school and 18 students (9.6%) to professionals in school. The qualitative data revealed a more in-depth understanding of strategies for dealing with such experiences, including both disclosure and non-disclosure. Self-blame/apologizing, avoidance or denial, deliberate confrontation, and emotional withdrawal were identified as reasons for non-disclosure. Students associated disclosure with various intentions (e.g., confiding, seeking solutions) and brought up potential benefits (e.g., understanding parental behavior, relief, support) and risks (e.g., not being taken seriously, escalation, negative consequences). Implications: The low disclosure rates for PA, particularly toward formal recipients, highlight the need for further prevention efforts and improvement of existing support services. The group discussions offer valuable insights in this regard. Children and adolescents could benefit from awareness campaigns that counteract normalization or internalization of such experiences and strengthen their capacity to recognize these situations as potentially harmful. At the same time, a tension becomes visible between the needs of children and adolescents and the professional responsibilities of child protection workers. From a professional perspective, any formal disclosure, even with the intention of simply confiding, may trigger mandatory interventions. However, this very fact can deter young people from opening up. Child protection services should critically reflect on their perception among young people to better understand (non-)use, especially in cases of PA. Findings suggest that aligning procedures with youths’ expectations and increasing transparency by informing them about these procedures could help build early trust and prevent escalation into out-of-home placements.