[header] How to tell if your parents are abusive [title] Think about what happened. [step] There are several things to consider when you're trying to figure out if your parents are abusive. The biggest factors are generally why your parent struck you and how much force they used. 
Was your parent trying to teach you not to do something dangerous, like running into the street without looking? This type of punishment is sometimes acceptable, as long as it does not get extreme or excessive. Hitting you to take out frustrations is considered abuse, and so is hitting you too hard and with great force.