Poor impulse control may be both a precipitant and a result of abuse. Parental immaturity, reflected in an inability to separate emotions from actions, is often blamed for abuse. Impulse control is lacking when the parent's frustrations and emotional needs are translated directly into action. In psychoanalytic terms, impulsive behavior reflects a weak superego (internal control mechanism).

When parents become frustrated or angry they may lash out at the first convenient target--usually the child. Though they may later regret their actions, abusive parents often lack sufficient control to avoid impulsive maltreatment of their children. Pedophiles and repeat sexual offenders are also cited as having poor control, in their case, over sexual impulses. Development of internal controls is an important goal in treatment of abusers. Until sufficient internal controls are developed, protection of the child may depend on external controls exercised by another adult or a child protection agency.

Learning to control aggressive impulses is a normal task in child development. Children of abusive parents usually lack adequate role models for controlling or sublimating anger. Though a child may develop a kind of pseudo-impulse control founded on fear of punishment, this mechanism quickly breaks down under stress. The resulting behavior often takes the form of unpredictable temper tantrums. Failure to master aggressive impulses leads the child to feelings of hopelessness and negative self-worth. If the abused child does not later develop adequate internal controls, he or she may grow up to be an abusive parent.

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