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Parental forced physical affection via feigned distress

🌱 parentingsocial problemSingle report ●●●●● severity 3/5

A parent asks if it is considered abuse when a father demands hugs from his children (ages 3-6) and pretends to cry when they refuse, causing them to comply.

Who's affected: A parent observing a father's behavior toward his children.

⚠️ Single report. This is one person's account. We mark it so until more voices confirm it.

What people do today

🔧 Fix this

Ideas a builder, maker or community group could start on:

  1. A mobile app providing age-appropriate scripts for parents to teach children about bodily autonomy and setting boundaries.
  2. A digital workshop series for parents on recognizing and replacing manipulative emotional tactics with healthy communication.
  3. A community-led support group platform connecting parents to discuss healthy discipline and emotional development strategies.
I want to build this

Real voices

“he pretends to cry and then they come running to hug or kiss him. Is this considered a form of abuse?”

Source: Stack Exchange (parenting) · CC BY-SA 4.0, user-contributed content from Stack Exchange; summarized and modified

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