A mother who was subjected to an hour-long attack at the hands of her teenage son says she is "scared of him" and the threat he poses on her family.
The mum, who has spoken anonymously, adopted two boys at a young age, but the elder of the two started showing violent tendencies from the age of five. He has no additional needs, now at the age of 13 the threat is getting worse.
"I ended up curled up in a ball in the corner of my utility room and he punched and kicked me for about an hour," she said. "He only stopped when he heard my husband’s car pull into the driveway."
She says that she is scared to be alone with the 13-year-old who can "flip out" at the tiniest thing and, during one outburst, threatened to kill her.
"He picked up a wooden chair and was trying to smash the window", she said. "He then broke a picture frame and threatened to cut himself. But he said what he really wanted to do was kill me with it."
Another parent, who spoke to ITV News anonymously, said she has been bitten and kicked by her 11-year-old daughter who is neurodiverse and has additional needs.
She said: "She’s ripped my clothing, she’s punched my face… I’ve had bruises all down my legs.”
Parental Education Growth Support (PEGS) who help parents affected by abuse has seen a 70% increase in referrals to their service. ITV News Journalist Jennifer Buck reports on the rising problem of child on parent violence.
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