EMOTIONAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

Emotional Abuse of Children



Child Abuse

Victim logy and crime prevention cut across many fields of study, including social services. Although the perpetrators of child maltreatment are not always prosecuted, the children who are abused and neglected are undeniably crime victims. They suffer the emotional trauma of victimization in addition to the physical effects, of abuse or neglect. In many cases, the consequences of abuse are especially traumatic because of children's subsequent separation from their loved ones. Professionals' use of best practices in responding to and trying to prevent child maltreatment is a critical part of ensuring that all children have the opportunity to grow up in a safe, nurturing environment (Wolfe, 1999). The authors of the two articles have exposed their view points regarding child abuse to a limited scale. Their point of discussion and analysis is done below.

Article 1 (http://helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm)

In this article the author discusses the cause and effects of child abuse. Moreover, this article focuses on the emotional consequences of child abuse. Child abuse and neglect also referred to collectively as child maltreatment, comprises the legal and social definitions of specific typologies, including physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional/psychological neglect, and sexual abuse. Legal definitions of the different types of maltreatment vary from state to state, but their source is societal standards of a safe, nurturing environment that ensures a child can grow into a fully functioning, contributing member of society. The definitions below are based on those used by the American Humane Society and other standard sources in the field. Physical abuse is the most visible of the maltreatment typologies. It is defined as inflicted, non accidental physical injury, or the risk of injury, to a child by a caregiver or parent. The injury often results from inappropriate or excessive discipline. Discipline and cultural practices are part of determining what crosses the threshold for the legal definition of abuse. Most of the Western world accepts corporal punishment as a means of discipline. The question becomes how one differentiates between discipline and abuse (Jantz, 1995).

Emotional neglect has many other names, including mental injury and psychological maltreatment. It is defined as an act of omission or an overt action that is inattentive to a child's need for nurturing, affection, support, and emotional development. Examples include rejection, verbal assault, isolation, torment, exploitation, belittlement, and public humiliation. Emotional neglect is one of the most difficult types of maltreatment to document because it may not be readily observable. It is often accompanied by other forms of maltreatment, such as physical abuse or neglect (Spry, 2008)

Article 2 (http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/emotional-abuse.html)

This article also discusses the emotional consequences faced by the abused child. The author of this article states that, emotional abuse involves any verbal or nonverbal behavior by a parent that conveys to the child that he or she is worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as he or she meets the needs of another person. It should be noted that some level of emotional abuse is inherent in all ...