Hostile Aggressive Parenting: Signs, Effects and What to Do

Antagonistic Aggressive Parenting or Hostile Aggressive Parenting (HAP) can be characterized as a general example of conduct and control that either straightforwardly or in a roundabout way, affects a child’s relationship with a parent or guardian. Such type of parenting: 

• Makes undue challenges or impedances in the relationship of the child with someone else.
• Creates a pointless clash with the other parent, which antagonistically influences the raising of a child.

There are numerous ways and techniques irate or severe guardians use to make a division between a child or youngsters and their other parent. Antagonistic Aggressive Parenting or hostile aggressive parenting is the reason which causes one parent to estrange kids from the other parent for an assortment of reasons. 

Unfortunately, this leads to a very harmful home environment for the child and causes mental stress for them.

What is Hostile Aggressive Parenting?

Hostile Aggressive Parenting (HAP) refers to a pattern of behavior in which one parent engages in deliberate and persistent efforts to undermine the relationship between the other parent and their child. 

Hostile parenting behaviors are often seen in high-conflict custody disputes where one parent seeks to gain an advantage in the custody battle by alienating the child from the other parent.

Hostile Aggressive Parenting can take many forms, including denigrating the other parent in front of the child, limiting contact between the child and the other parent, interfering with communication, and making false allegations of abuse. 

HAP can have serious negative consequences for children, including an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.

It is important to note that HAP is not limited to one gender, and can be perpetrated by either the mother or father. It is also important to distinguish HAP from situations in which there are legitimate concerns about a child’s safety or well-being. 

HAP is a specific pattern of behavior that is intended to harm the relationship between the child and the other parent, and it is not in the best interest of the child.

Dr. Jenni Schulz, PhD in Psychology, says

Hostile aggressive parenting may make the offending parent feel better, but the truth is that it’s harming the children.

10 signs of Hostile Aggressive Parenting

People with Hostile-Aggressive Parenting behavior can show a lot of negative traits. Those with hostile parenting psyche:

• Are probably going to be controlled by negative feelings and are controlling the connections of others
• Will have high degrees of contention in different conditions, especially in separation or guardianship procedures when these are included
• Regularly augment their very own apprehensions and instabilities. They don’t have the capacity to see the significance of the other people in their kids’ lives
• Do not hesitate in using the child as a weapon against grandparents
• Makes derogatory or negative comments about the other parent in front of the child
• Tries to limit the contact between the child and the other parent/guardian
• Withholds important information about the child’s school, medical or social activities from the other parent
• Encourages the child to reject or dislike the other parent and their choices
• Refuses co-parenting rules or to communicate with the other parent on mutual decisions
• Blames the other parent for everything that goes wrong

Identifying a hostile aggressive parent

Hostile parenting is an intense and harming type of maltreatment and abuse that guardians and even other relatives can take part in.

Hostile aggressive parenting is frequently seen in people with controlling and harassing identities or those with gentle to the severe identity issue. HAP can be a factor in a wide range of child-rearing courses of action, including sole maternal guardianship, sole fatherly authority, and joint care.

Strikingly, it is sole custodial guardians who are frequently answered to rehearse Hostile Aggressive Parenting, particularly in its most serious frame.

High degrees of contention amid care settlements and prosecution are certain signs in these influenced families.

Antagonistic forceful guardians or passive-aggressive parents don’t care about the necessities of their youngster and by and large view their kid as an owner having a place with them and no different people have any privilege over the kid, particularly not the kid’s other parent or different people that the HAP parent dislikes.

Threatening, forceful guardians will utilize the child as a weapon against the other life partner and relatives at whatever point they have the chance.

Irate and pernicious HAP guardians are regularly ready to bring a rule of dread and retribution on to a non-custodial parent and their family, their objective being to get them out of the kid’s life or in any event to harm their kid’s association with the other parent and other parent’s family.

Related Reading: 6 Parenting Skills to Start With

Effects of Hostile Aggressive Parenting

The effects of aggressive parenting on child development can be severe and long-lasting. Children who are exposed to HAP may experience anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and a lack of trust in relationships. They may also develop a negative view of themselves and their abilities. 

In severe cases, children may develop a fear or hatred of the targeted parent and may even refuse to have contact with them. 

HAP can also lead to parental alienation syndrome, a serious condition in which the child strongly identifies with the alienating parent and rejects the other parent, often without legitimate reasons. HAP can have a profound impact on the well-being and mental health of children and may require professional intervention to address.

Characteristics seen in Hostile Aggressive Parenting

Guardians who are unfriendly, forceful parents would often:

• Reliably undermine the validity of the objective parent.
• Meddle with the legitimately permitted privileges of the objective parent.
• Lie or misrepresent cases to anchor points of interest in separation, care, or defensive request forms.
• Show excessively controlling practices toward youngsters, previous life partners, and others included.
• Connect with others, for example, companions, collaborators, and relatives in their endeavors to drive a wedge between the child and the other parent.

Dealing with Hostile Aggressive Parenting 

Dealing with Hostile Aggressive Parenting can be a challenging and complex process. It involves managing the emotions and behaviors of both parents and their children. 

To begin addressing this issue, it is important to identify the signs of hostile aggressive parenting, such as manipulative tactics, negative talk about the other parent, and attempts to isolate the child from the other parent. 

It is crucial to create a safe and stable environment for the child while also encouraging a healthy relationship with both parents. Professional counseling and mediation can be helpful in resolving conflicts and creating a co-parenting plan. 

It is important to prioritize the child’s well-being and emotional health throughout the process.

The result of Hostile Aggressive Parenting on children

Talking about aggressive parenting effects on children, it can vary from major to minor. Kids who are affected by threatening, forceful child-rearing often tend to:

• Perform inadequately in school.
• Have lower self-esteem
• Be unsuccessful in creating worthy social aptitudes
• Figure out how to copy the forceful and angry styles of the unfriendly forceful parent.
• Get distances from positive associations with different kin who keep an association with the objective parent.

It can’t be accentuated emphatically enough that one of the most amazing motivating forces to get the hostile and aggressive parent to act to the most significant advantage of their child is through a communitarian.

How to curb hostile aggressive behavior in parents

One of the ways of controlling a hostile home environment is through awareness about passive-aggressive parenting behaviors so that parents are well equipped to handle the situation and create a safe environment at home for children. Furthermore,

• Parents can encourage a healthy environment at home by instilling positive communication in the family. Under all circumstances, avoid talking ill about the other parent, especially in front of the child. All matters should be resolved in the bedroom in seclusion.
• Parents must also refrain from sharing the relationship equation they have with their children, especially if there’s some trouble or they are planning to divorce. Remain quiet about the details of the divorce or child custody, as it can have a negative mental effect on the child.
• Get involved in couples’ counseling or family therapy to find the root cause of hostile aggressive parenting. Counselors can help you decipher the deeper psychological issue or pain that leads to such behavioral patterns.
• People with aggressive parenting behavior are suggested to seek couples therapy to get the required professional support to deal with their relationship and parenting issues.

The video below discusses anger management tips for parents. If you are trying to parent without yelling and by staying calm, watch it out:

How does aggressive parenting affect child development and personality?

Aggressive parenting can have significant negative impacts on a child’s development and personality. Children who are exposed to hostile and aggressive behavior from their parents may develop behavioral and emotional problems, such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. 

They may also struggle with developing healthy relationships and may have difficulty regulating their own emotions. Additionally, aggressive parenting can lead to increased aggression and antisocial behavior in children, as they may model the same behavior they see from their parents. 

This can have long-lasting effects on their social and academic success, as well as their overall mental health and well-being.

Related Reading: How to Cope With Different Parenting Styles

Every child deserves responsible parenting

Dr. Schulz adds,

The bottom line with hostile aggressive parenting is that it harms the children, and parents need to set their own emotions aside for the benefit of the children.

Kids can be frequently reluctant to express their desires and inclinations out of their dread of custodial hostile aggression of the parent and a perpetual hostile living environment, in general. 

By and large, kids need an association with the two guardians and need the assistance of the courts and the network to guarantee this without saying it themselves.

Every child deserves to be raised by responsible and caring parents who provide a safe, loving, and nurturing environment for their growth and development. If you ever come across a setup where aggressive parenting is seen, do not hesitate to reach out for help.