Parents' mammoth struggle to talk to their teenagers leaves many thinking their children are "violent, abusive and blackmailing", according to a new campaign launched in south Essex.

Saying the Unsayable is based on a new study of calls taken from more than 10,000 parents nationwide by helpline Parentline.

They revealed strong evidence that family stress and lack of communication makes it easy for parents to label their teenager's behaviour rather than see underlying problems.

The three-month study found about half of parents talked about their children in derogatory terms such as "manipulative, spoilt and anti-social".

Many mums and dads also feared they may take out their angry feelings on their children.

Rosemary Spillman, co-ordinator of Parentline based in Hadleigh, said: "These findings raise real concerns about the isolation and lack of support parents experience.

"This leaves them feeling powerless and angry in the face of what can be quite challenging teenage behaviour.

"If we are to break the cycle of silent war or screaming matches in families we need to allow parents the opportunity to talk about their problems and encourage them to open up communications with their children."

The research highlighted the need for a confidential service where parents could speak anonymously about their feelings.

BT and Parentline have now teamed up for a three year project aimed at expanding the support available to parents and promoting good communication within families.

The Parentline telephone number is 0808 8002222. New volunteers are always welcome. Anyone interested should call 01702 554782.

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