Domestic violence in the Home: The Problem of Abusive Parenting in Asian American Families - Research Paper Example

Therefore, it may be hypothesized that much of that style of chastisement might have translated over to the United States when parents were raised by their own parents—who were probably even harsher with them than they turned out to be to their own children as second-generation Asian Americans. “Parents may resort to physical discipline that is not acceptable in the United States but is sanctioned in the country of origin…Child abuse among Asian Americans has received little attention.”1 Not only is physical punishment considered an acceptable form of punishment in many country-specific Asian cultures, but it is even encouraged.

In the United States, most people would be appalled by such a way of reprimanding their own children. Indeed, the lines between what constitutes proper parenting and then what constitutes child abuse can be a slippery slope. . Their parents were born here as well, but retain many of the values of their parents’ home country, which is Korea. The girls agreed that, while they wouldn’t ever say that they were harmed physically, their parents at times could be very verbally abusive. Kara stated, “I think my parents just wanted the best for us.

” Janeane added, “Our parents were very strict. They wanted us to get perfect grades, be the best at playing tennis for our schools when we were in high school and college, and in general do well at everything.” Kara chimed in, saying, “Our parents might have been considered mean by some outsiders’ judgments, but in our eyes they were just trying to prepare us for the real world by developing within us a good work ethic.” What Kara and Janeane experienced seems to be typical of Asian Americans’ parenting styles, according to other children with Asian American parents.

“Asian Americans…reported high rates of verbal abuse from their own parents, which impaired their psychological well-being.”4 Additionally, Janeane noted that their friends’ parents who were born in their home countries were even more strict that their own parents. IV. Psychological Abuse Psychological abuse seems to be the form of punishment which remains at higher levels in Asian American families. In certain races, there were “…various forms of psychological abuse and neglect. Two-thirds of these children [were] from Caucasian homes, 30% from African American homes, 13% from Hispanic homes, [and] 1.

3% from Pacific Islander/Asian American homes…”5 Even then, psychological abuse is still on the low end compared with other racial groups. Part of this may stem from the fact that psychological abuse is internal and