Adolescent to Parent Violence

A study into Adolescent to Parent Violence led by Rachel Condry, Associate Professor of Criminology has raised the profile of this issue and led to the development of official Home Office guidance relating to the problem.

Rachel Condry was the Principal Investigator on a three year ESRC funded study investigating the issue of Adolescent to Parent Violence (APV). APV is defined to include any acts of violence, threats of violence, or criminal damage in the home by an adolescent (aged 13-19) towards a parent/carer.

The project aimed to map the problem of APV, exploring how it is defined, experienced and negotiated by parents and adolescents and how violent assaults committed by adolescents within the home are managed within the criminal justice system. Impact was integral to the design of the project and one of the key objectives of the project was to develop policy recommendations from the findings.

The project was collaborative in nature and throughout the project Dr Condry and her Research Officer Caroline Miles consulted third sector agencies, the police, youth justice services, and the Youth Justice Board

The findings of the study showed that APV was experienced across society and also identified a gap in policy recommendations relating to the issue. Practitioners and policy makers indicated the usefulness of the research in providing evidence of the problem and they emphasized the need for practical guidance on how to deal with the issue.

The next stage of the research in developing this guidance was funded by an award from the ESRC’s Impact Acceleration Account. Anne-Marie Harris worked as a Knowledge Exchange Officer alongside Professor Condry. Guidance relating to APV was developed with the Home Office and the Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse Information Guide was launched in March 2015. The guide is the first document of its kind and the first official guidance on APVA to be published in the UK. The guide provides practical advice for practitioners in a range of fields working with APV. It is hoped that organizations will take up the advice in the guide and develop their policy and practice in this area.

The research and its findings have engaged the attention of the media, Dr Condry has been interviewed about the work on radio and television and the research has featured in articles in the Guardian, the Independent and the Times.

Dr Condry has worked with the film maker Jim Franks to create two videos exploring the findings of the study and the impact of the research which can be viewed on the project website.

You can read the Home Office guide on the Home Office website.

Download Dr Condry's Case Study

Research funded by an ESRC Research Grant, August 2010 – September 2013

In June 2016, Professor Condry was the joint runner up in the 'Outstanding Impact in Public Policy' category at the ESRC Impact Awards.