This story is so sad and the effects on the child could be tremendous.Discipline is supposed teach and nurture a child not to be abusive.I have oftened wondered on how my displine effects my children but for the most part my disipline at this time is talking through things and sometimes a referance to the loss off a priviledge..which i carry though with if needed but my children are 8 and 10.I think that the punishement this child is getting will lead her to resent not just her father but also her mother.For a child to be treated this way and a mother to no do anything...this must have happened at some time as there are examples of the fathers so called discipline this child must feel some what alone and uncared for.I am glad she is seeing Doctor Phil and that there is hope for this yound teen.
Personally my parents were quite strict but their often punishment was to send me to my room as i was not born to them but came from an abusive situation where i was often left unattended to when i was a baby and needed attention..the isolation was the worst thing my parent could have done to me and has had effects on me now and has made me very aware of the way i discipline my children.I have another child who is turning 13 and her now ex step mother used to put her in her room at the age of 5(after i myself had been in a fire accident and was in hospital)My daughter was traumatised of course by what her mother had been through.I soon noticed that sending my daughter even too her room was not having a good effect on her rather she would physically pull her hair out so i told my daughter when she had said or done something that wasnt right that she needed to sit by me for awhile and think about her actions then after a little time we would talk about it and work through it...about an apology or what was necessary to show that she understood what she had done was not right and that she would try not to do it again.
I really hope this family get the help and listen to the advice they need.
