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20 FEBRUARY 2009
NO 1403
Emotional abuse
Emotional abuse is the emotional ill-treatment or rejection of a child (Iwaniec et al., 2002). It is the sustained repetitive, inappropriate emotional response to the child's experience of emotion and its accompanying expressive behaviour (Skuse, 1989). Psychological maltreatment may be most likely to be identified and reported to authorities when it accompanies other forms of maltreatment. It includes repeatedly belittling, denigrating or terrorising a child, isolating him/her from others, explicitly rejecting the child, and also generalised 'missocialization' (Brassard & Gerardo, 1987; Barnett et al., 1991; Iwaniec, 1995; Doyle, 1997; Glaser & Prior, 1997). The emotional damage, it is argued, can be caused by verbal hostility, unrealistic expectations, induced fear and anxiety by threats of abandonment, rejection, and all-round deprivation of attention, stimulation and by having excessive power over the child. Doyle (1997) suggested that there appeared to be no type of child who is more vulnerable to emotional abuse in terms of age, gender, ordinal position in family and health or disability. However, she did find several significant differences between emotionally abused and comparison groups such as larger family size, marital/ parental conflict, caregiver changes, death of a child in the family, lack of money for essentials, accommodation problems, mental health problems and parental alcohol problems.
It needs to be remembered, however, that different cultures vary in what they consider psychologically desirable or abusive in child rearing. In Western culture, praise of children's achievements and demonstration of affection by close physical contact are regarded as normal and desirable. On the contrary, excessive criticism and punitive threats of retribution are perceived as emotionally abusive. In some cultures, however, praise is regarded as inappropriate, encouraging arrogance and conceit in children that would be unacceptable in societies given to observing modesty, while threats are regarded as reasonable means by which undesirable behaviour may be controlled or modified. What is normal in one society then, may be abnormal in another. Cultural norms and expectations are bound to moderate the effects of parenting practices (Gough, 1996).
The damaging behaviour does not always have to be directed towards the child. For example, the very experience of witnessing domestic violence against their parent can in itself be seen as emotionally abusive and can affect children's behaviour, their cognitive and social problem-solving, as well as their coping and emotional functioning (Jaffe et al., 1990; Peled, 1997; Hendry, 1998; Margolin & Gordis, 2000). Infants who witness spousal violence may display characteristics such as poor health, poor sleeping habits, excessive screaming, and attachment disorders. Toddlers exposed to domestic violence were frequently ill, suffered from acute shyness, had low self-esteem, experienced adaptation and relationship difficulties in day care, and, by hitting, biting, or being disobedient and argumentative, indicated they had social problems. These children in domestic violence situations are also at a heightened risk of direct physical and sexual abuse.
HELGA SNEDDON
Sneddon, H. (2003). The effects of maltreatment on
children's health and well-being. Child Care in Practice, 9, 3.
pp. 241-242.
REFERENCES
Barnett, D., Manly, J.T. and Cicchetti, D. (1991). Continuing towards an operational definition of psychological maltreatment. In Cicchetti, D. (Ed.) Development and Psychopathology, Vol. 3. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. pp. 19-29.
Brassard, M. R. and Gerardo, M.S. (1987) Psychological maltreatment: The unifying construct in child abuse and neglect. School Psychology Review, 16, 2. pp. 127-136.
Doyle, C. (1997). Emotional abuse of children: Issues for intervention. Child Abuse Review, 6. pp. 330-342.
Glaser, D. and Prior, V. (1997). Is the term child protection applicable to emotional abuse?. Child Abuse Review, 6. pp. 315-329.
Gough, D. (1996). Defining the problem. Child Abuse and Neglect, 20. pp. 993-1002.
Hendry, E.B. (1998). Children and domestic violence: A training imperative. Child Abuse Review, 7. pp. 129-134.
Iwaniec, D. (1995). The Emotionally Abused and Neglected Child: Assessment and Intervention. Chichester. John Wiley and Sons.
Iwaniec, D. (2002). Understanding child neglect: Contemporary issues and dilemmas. Occasional Paper, 2. Belfast. Institute of Child Care Research.
Jaffe, P., Wolfe, D. and Wilson, S.K. (1990). Children of Battered Women. CA. Sage.
Margolin, G. and Gordis, E.B. (2000). The effects of family and community violence on children. Annual Review of Psychology, 51. pp. 445-479.
Peled, E. (1997). Intervention with children of battered women: A review of current literature. Children and Youth Services Review, 19, 4. pp. 277-299.
Skuse, D.H. (1989). Emotional abuse and neglect. British Medical Journal, 298. pp. 1692-1694.
