The Wire

Footage of a Ukranian swimming coach slapping and bashing his daughter backstage at the FINA World Championships sparked outrage as they were beamed around the world this week. The incident triggered much debate about the prevalence of these abusive incidents – between parents and their children – on a more local level. It’s become known as the ‘ugly parent syndrome’. But what are parents really getting up to at their kid’s footy or tennis match? According to psychologist and CEO of the Australian Childhood Foundation Dr. Joe Tucci, it’s a serious form of child abuse.