Child Maltreatment
The legacy of maltreatment is its various forms is damage to the child's sense of self and the consequent impairment of social, emotional, and cognitive functioning (Erikson, Egeland, & Pianta, 1989, p. 648).Whereas news stories tend to focus on the more sensational cases of child abuse, such as severe physical or sexual maltreatment, less obvious but more chronic kinds of abuse are far more common. Psychological maltreatment is still the least likely to be identified and treated by our child welfare system. However, there is growing consensus that psychological maltreatment is at the heart of negative developmental outcomes. Garbarino and Vondra (1987) argue that "Psychological maltreatment is the core issue in the broader picture of abuse and neglect, as it is in poverty and oppression of all kinds" (p. 28).
The psychological effects of maltreatment are seen as some of the leading causes of learning and behavior disorders in children, as well as long-lasting psychological distress in adults. Research indicates that maltreated and neglected children suffer psychological and behavior problems in virtually all areas of development. Effects include aggressiveness, withdrawal, depression, emotional maladjustment, antisocial behavior, difficulty with self-control, impaired cognitive and language skill, and decreased academic performance. In addition, maltreatment interacts with and exacerbates the effects of poverty, inadequate provision of medical care, and education. Thus, most abused children are at double jeopardy for cognitive delay, as they generally suffer the disadvantages associated with low income, as well as suffering the effects of abuse (Crittenden, 1989).
It is unlikely that single instances of psychological abuse or neglect are directly harmful in the same way that instances of physical abuse lead to injuries. On the contrary, it appears that the harm of psychological maltreatment, which frequently accompanies other types of maltreatment, results from the cumulative effects of repeated occurrences over time. Egeland and Erickson (1987) note that abusive families are often multi-problem families with homes and neighborhoods characterized by chaos, disruption, and deprivation. Abuse and neglect, then, should not be viewed as an isolated incident, but an environment. As Crittenden (1991) writes, "It is the simple, daily experiences that constitute the basis of a self that can hope, engage the cooperation of others, and find satisfaction in the process" (p. 13).
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This document's URL is: © 2001 Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
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