@MyNewtBoobs If the child lies about getting a bad grade, eventually the school is going to send home the test with the bad grade or their report card is going to show the bad grades. So, if they lied because they were afraid of the punishment they would receive at that time, they will just get it once the school sends the grades home (thus it would be delaying the inevitable punishment). I don’t see how lying to an abusive parent would not make things worse in the long run. I suppose it all depends on which issues set the abusive parent off. I’m sure many children don’t get the help they need, but that is a separate issue.