What to Do When Your Child Hits Another Child

Anytime a parent is faced with a child that resorts to physical violence it can be very stressful. Although it may seem like a serious, deliberate action, that is not always the case. Before you jump to any conclusions or harsh punishments, step back and look at the entire situation. The most important thing you can do is to remain calm. Do not add to the chaos of the moment by shouting or becoming physical yourself.

It may sound kind of silly, but you need to ask yourself a series of questions to help you find the root cause of the outburst. In a case that involves hitting or another violent act, it should be stopped immediately before you begin to research the bigger issue. A number of different factors may have been at work that would cause a child to react in such a way. What happened the moments before the child lashed out? Did the child possess the vocabulary needed to express their anger or frustration? How do you as a parent react in explosive situations?

Your job as the parent will be to teach your child how to handle similar situations in the future. Children still need plenty of supervision and that may help to eliminate these types of situations. A parent or other supervisor will be able to stop a situation from escalating to the physical point. Those interventions can be used to educate the child about what kind of things he or she can do in the future when they are beginning to feel hostile. If a child continues to respond with violence, it may be necessary to seek out the help of a professional.

Do you want to learn exactly how to eliminate your child's out-of-control and defiant behavior without using Punishments, Time-Outs, Behavioral Plans, or Rewards?