# Gaslighting your own children?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gaslighting-your-own-children/500983>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 25, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gaslighting-your-own-children/500983 "2009-06-25T20:53:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Orr\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Orr\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orr_G)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gaslighting-your-own-children/500983/1 "2009-06-25T20:53:10Z")

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I’m looking for any good information, case studies, etc., on parents/families who abuse one or more of their children with the apparent aim of making them (or making them believe they are) crazy.

While the particular dynamic is difficult to describe, I wish to distinguish it from the more common sort of child abuse as described in _Toxic Parents_ and the like. Ordinary abuse is fueled by control issues, anger management problems, alcoholism, and other dysfunctions. What I have in mind is something more subtle and premeditated, where the dysfunctional behavior on the part of the parents seems to come via a decision-making process - more of an act than just acting out of authentic anger and taking it out on the kid.

What are the motivations for it? How do the children learn to cope and overcome such a f’d up child-rearing?

Who’s got the Straight Dope on this?