A lot of children these days, young or old, are often controlled incessantly by toxic parents that are fearful of results. These parents often are dominating, abusive, and anxious about what may become of their children. Some children may feel the need to outgrow interference and control and only seek guidance from their parents. But is this always possible? Many parents invade and manipulate, frequently dominate, and verbally abuse their children.

Here are the telltale signs of a parent that is a toxic force in a children’s life:

RELATED: 11 Signs You Were Raised By A Toxic Parent (And It’s Affecting You Now)

  1. Your parent refuses to respect the boundaries of a child and is clearly too assertive about them.
  2. When the parent jokes or even belittle the child about things that a child is insecure with such as weight, income, and relationship status.
  3. On the home front, the parent takes in the first priority and the child is always the second force.
  4. When a parent is upset, he or she uses passive-aggressive behavior in response. They often may give the silent treatment to one child and elevate another child as being the better of the two!
  5. The parent criticizes the child socially and does not provide support and compliments or even encouragement in times of dire need.
  6. When a child is struggling to show negative emotions and cries in silence, there could be unnecessary shame in revealing true feelings to others.
  7. A child of a toxic parent often shows negative emotions and rarely owns up in public.
  8. A child often thinks that a parent would behave differently if he or she was a lot better, smarter, and successful.
  9. A parent can intentionally make a child guilty when they do not get the desired results in the way a relationship progresses.
  10. When a child accomplishes something in life and hesitates to share it with the parent fearing, the other person will be uselessly critical of the excitement. RELATED: When Your Mom Is A Bully
  11. A parent often demands praise and attention from a child.
  12. A child is forcefully made to participate in activities that only interest the parent.
  13. The parents teach the child to be respectful only through fear and intimidation.
  14. A child has authority issues in adulthood and is very submissive and inappropriately rebellious at an older age.
  15. If a parent uses money and guilt to manipulate the child, it may be disastrous for the child’s personality. The child may be constantly reminded of how much he or she “owes” to the parent, even for things they have not provided for.
  16. A parent always says that he or she has given up on the child, and always wanted to be childless without him or her being born.
  17. The toxic parent often blames the child for any inappropriate reaction and bad behavior.
  18. If a child feels terrified to own up to mistakes publicly, he or she has severe personality problems that need attention.
  19. A lot of parents think “tough love” is indeed an affirmation of love and security, which it’s not.
  20. A child rarely takes up new things and risks just because he or she is afraid of failing, no matter what the condition. RELATED: 3 Toxic Parenting Styles That Turn Kids Into Narcissists Falcon is a writer who focuses on relationships, lifestyles, and personalities. For more of their content, visit their author page on The Mind’s Journal.