Are they Abusive Parents or just very strict? Judging by Eddy's Brother asking Eddy if they knew he was visiting him in a rather concerned tone, it hints either one.
Also supporting this are during the rare occasions when Ed actually stands up to her ("Pop Goes the Ed" and "Little Ed Blue"), she backs down, either because Jimmy tells her to (as in "Pop Goes the Ed"), or out of genuine fear (as in "Little Ed Blue").
"High Heeled Ed" implied that the reason why Eddy never retaliates against her is that she's Ed's sister, and when Eddy does fight back against her in "Ed, Ed, and Away" and "One of Those Eds", he actually puts up a decent fight against her. Is Sarah as tough as we're made to believe? Despite the multiple times Sarah has beaten him and his friends up, Eddy never seems to be afraid of her.Is Eddy's brother a simple case of Jerkass bully older brother or an abuser or worse?.Is Plank evil (and alive) or just a piece of wood that only lives in Johnny's head?.Are they just bullies tormenting everyone for kicks, or is it a facade, built because of (implied) abuse and poverty they had faced earlier in their lives? Do they care about the Eds, and if yes, to what extent? Or do they just want "men" to control and do their chores? This is especially contested given how in their introductory episode they genuinely treated the Eds well (washing their clothes, making them food, putting on a movie, freshening themselves up) and only started acting cruelly towards them when they rudely rebuffed their advances. The Kankers are very prone to this, due to their canon flatness.
Be upfront about the reward for your task, and have realistic expectations. If Eddy had been upfront about helping Rolf get over his homesickness by constructing a fake village based on his homeland in exchange for a small fee, they may have been able to avoid the pain they end up getting at the end of the episode. "Wish You Were Ed": Be upfront when you want to provide a service for monetary gain.Even if they don't abandon you for it, you can expect them to pay you back in full.' 'If someone is noted for being unreliable or easily swayed by others in the past, it's probably best to not entrust them with an important task.' And 'Don't take advantage of your friends for monetary gain. "Brother Can You Spare an Ed?": Has two.