AFCCA

Aggression toward family/caregivers in childhood & adolescence (AFFCA) is a pattern of behaviour in childhood or adolescence, characterized by aggressive behaviour by a child or adolescent towards family members. This causes significant harm (physical and/or psychological) to both the child/adolescent and the person(s) the behaviour is directed towards, and other witnessing family members. 

This stems from a common difficulty in which the child struggles to accept co-regulation from an adult, resulting in progressive challenges with self regulation. 

Aggression toward family/caregivers in childhood and adolescence is most often directed to parents, primary caregivers and siblings in home, but can also be directed toward other caregivers in other settings. The behaviour commonly becomes entrenched and escalates over time.

This is intense prolonged aggression. It is often times hidden. This is not something that caregivers tend to share and most of the time it’s only happening in the home and not in the community or in the school system where others may be viewing it.

• Self-harm is a big piece of AFCCA, while it is not aggression towards a caregiver it is often an important underlying issue that the adolescent is struggling with.
• Siblings, pets or other extended family are often the secondary recipients of the aggression.
• Property destruction, psychological or emotional harm, aggressive language, swearing are often happening alongside the targeted aggression.
• When a child is displaying AFCCA it is important to ask, what is the child’s perception? They may be interpreting actions/words/situations in the wrong way. An example of this being when a parent sets rules and boundaries. A child who is well-attached will understand better that this is their parents way of protecting them and a sign of love. A child who displays AFCCA may not interpret this act as a sign of love, rather that my parents are against me. That is their perception.
• Trauma and intergenerational trauma has been shown to change their genes, making them more vulnerable to stress.
• Prenatal exposure to alcohol can result in the child developing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD and may have a higher chance of showing aggressive behaviours. 

Difficulties with emotional self-regulation stem from:

• Perception
• Attachment
• Shame
• Anxiety
• Developmental age
• Aggressive scripts
• Modeling 
• Priming
• Abuse history
• Trauma (intergenerational trauma)
• Prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs

Frequently co-existing neurodevelopmental disabilities and related conditions:

• Autism spectrum disorder
• Oppositional defiant disorder
• Anxiety disorder
• Depressive disorder
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
• Attachment disorder
• Language disorder
• ADHD
• Neurodevelopmental disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

What AFCCA looks like in the home

• It is frequently unreported, and not widely discussed. 
• Parents/caregivers have reported feelings of judgment.
• 76% of caregivers have reported the incidents of aggression and/or violence occuring daily or weekly.
• Nobody outside of the family tends to know about the abuse occurring.

When confronted, how do we respond to aggression?

• When we feel that we are in true danger, fight, flight, or freeze will automatically arise in an attempt to keep us safe. These are adaptive responses that protect us from danger.
• Curiosity and compassion towards the adolescent and towards ourselves across time as we work to understand these behaviours will support us in our capacity for regulation in the face of these behaviours.
• When possible, offering co-regulation towards the offender. This can happen through our tone of voice, our gestures, expressions, our breathing, and body language. 
• Less speaking is preferred. When someone is activated, less is more. 
• When the moment is right, aim to set boundaries with clarity and kindness.  How we communicate the boundaries can increase the chances of them feeling respected. 
• Taking care of ourselves is important. It helps for us to notice our own emotional triggers and honour our own personal history with experiences of aggression and violence. 

Additional Resources

National Consortium on AFCCA - https://www.afcca-apfea.ca/
FASD and Aggression - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yGgzBcKXtE
Ted Talk - https://www.ted.com/talks/yvonne_newbold_ninja_curious_an_antidote_to_difficult_violent_behaviour_in_children?subtitle=en