Parental domination of children's thinking

Parents attempt to reduce and control the thoughts and reflective associations of their children to those that agree with their own views. This reduction of the child's relational world denies the broad context he needs in order to develop his own judgement. At the same time, the narrowing of young peoples' interests does not give credit to their ability to live in the external world. Adults fail to comprehend the degree to which their own behaviour influences their children, and thus fail to recognize the effect of their own unintentional behaviour on their children's image systems.

Children of depressive parents are at 3 times greater risk of developing depression themselves, and parental domination, whether willed or unwilled, may be partly to blame.