By Cher McGillivray, Assistant Professor in Psychology, Bond University Former tennis champion-turned-commentator Jelena Dokic this week revealed she had sought to reconcile with her abusive father as an adult. He never, however, apologised or showed remorse for the physical and psychological abuse he meted out to her throughout her childhood.

"In fact," she told the ABC, "he said he would do it all again."

As a psychologist, I found his response shocking but sadly unsurprising. Many parents and caregivers who abused...