Patterns of Abuse in Skipped Generation Households

Research on the experiences of grandparents and grandchildren in skipped generation households (SGHs) shows that different forms of abuse occur in such contexts (Toremann, Skipped generation households: An exploratory study of grandparents who raise their grandchildren, 2007). It has been reported that skipped generation households may be the first place some grandchildren experience abuse, either as the victim or as an observer. Delinquent grandchildren have also been reported as perpetrators of abuse to grandparents in skipped generation households. Also, living arrangements, the structure of the households, and the neighbourhood are factors that may predispose both grandchildren and grandparents in SGHs to abuse. This chapter focuses on the dynamics of abuse that occurs in skipped generation households with grandparents and grandchildren as victims and perpetrators. The chapter also examines the factors that aid the occurrence of abuse in skipped generation households and the implications of abuse on grandparents and grandchildren in such households.