Effects of Bad Parenting on Children

The effects of bad parenting on children can have long-lasting ramifications. The saying that "Children learn what they live" is quite accurate. If a child is being raised in a home where they are not being treated very well, the child is being set up for a lifetime of difficulties.

Bad Parenting Hurts Children

Most parents do their best to provide a loving and nurturing atmosphere for their children. Bad parenting includes the following behaviors:

• Abuse
• An environment where there is a lot of arguing and conflict
• Ignoring the child

Some parents are overwhelmed by their own personal situations and are unable to look after their children's needs appropriately.

Children who grow up in a home where they are not nurtured properly are at a disadvantage. The results of a British study published in April of 2009 found that children who are not being cared for properly in the first three years of life are at a disadvantage compared to their peers who were given appropriate attention from their parents. Children who were disadvantaged in their early years due to a lack of parental attention (talking and reading to the child) had trouble interacting appropriately with their peers when they went to preschool.

The children who were ignored or who lived in high-stress households had trouble expressing themselves verbally. They also had trouble with social skills. Sharing toys was difficult for them, and they had trouble playing. The British study concluded that the disadvantaged children actually started preschool with underdeveloped brains.

The children who were having trouble with their social skills could be helped if they received intensive help from their teachers. Unfortunately, teachers are busy caring for the entire class and have trouble finding the time to give the children who are behind the level of attention they need.

The effects of bad parenting can be seen when children fall behind their peers in school. Children who have trouble communicating with their teachers and peers are more likely to have difficulty in school. Over time, the frustration with not being able to perform well may lead to the child leaving school before graduating.

The employment prospects for someone who drops out of school before getting at least a high school education are limited, at best. A number of employers require a candidate for a job to have either a diploma or a GED to be considered for any available positions.

A person who is unable to become gainfully employed may be more likely to turn to illegal activities and end up with a criminal record. The fact that the person has a record makes it harder for him to find work after serving his sentence, which leads to more criminal activities, and the whole thing turns into a vicious cycle.

A person who doesn't feel that she fits in with her peers may look to drugs or alcohol to help her feel more comfortable or to escape from the negative feelings and stress in her lives. Not everyone who is an addict had parents, but growing up in a household where the child's needs were not met appropriately may put the child at increased risk for addiction.

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Bad parenting can happen at any income level in society. The British study referred to above did make a connection between children raised in homes where the annual income was below the poverty line and poor performance at school. This doesn't mean that children who are raised in more affluent homes are automatically spared from the effects of bad parenting or that poor families can't provide a nurturing environment for their children. Lack of means does make it more challenging for them to do so, though.

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