Children and Teenagers are Affected Emotionally by Child Abuse and Neglect | Article of Child abuse | Psychology

 Children and Teenagers are Affected Emotionally by Child Abuse and Neglect.

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(This article explains what child abuse is and the harm it may do, as well as providing resources.)

 

Abstract

 

Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver, either through action or failure, causes injury, death, emotional injury or the risk of serious injury to the child. There are many types of child abuse, including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and emotional abuse. The immediate emotional effects of abuse and neglect - loneliness, fear, and mistrust - can lead to lifelong consequences, including low self-esteem, depression, and relationship difficulties, as well as increased risk of drug and alcohol addiction.

What is child abuse?

 

All parents irritate their children at times. ‘No’ and dealing with difficult behavior is an important part of parenting.

 

Tired or depressed parents may lose their temper and may say or do something that they regret, and they may hurt the child. If this is difficult or often happens, it can hurt the baby. That is why harassment is defined in law. The Children's Act 1989 states that abuse should be considered an incident where another person's actions caused the child to have ‘significant’ injuries to their health or development.

 

‘Severe injury’ means that someone is:

 

1.       Excessive punishment of the child

2.       Beating or shaking a child

3.       Constant criticism, intimidation or rejection of the child

4.       Sexual harassment or child abuse

Not caring for the baby - not giving them enough food, not paying attention, not playing or talking to them or not being sure they are safe.

 

Who abused children?

Children are often the target of bullying by family members. This could include parents, brothers or sisters, babysitters or other ordinary adults. It is very common for strangers to get involved.

How you can tell if children begin abused:

 

Children can present a variety of difficulties and behaviors depending on where, when and the type of trauma they have experienced.

 

It can be difficult to detect long-term abuse by an adult and a close child. It is often very difficult for a child to tell anyone about it, as the abuser may have threatened to harm them if they told anyone. The child may say nothing because he thinks it is their fault, that no one will believe them or think that they will be ridiculed or punished. A child may not love an adult who is being abused. They want the abuse to end, but they do not want an adult to go to prison or a family to break up.

 

Children who are physically abused can:

 

1.       Monitor, monitor or monitor adults

2.       Inability to play and be default

3.       Be aggressive or abusive

4.       Abuse other children or they are also abused

Inability to concentrate, failing at school and avoiding things that involve the removal of clothes, e.g. sports

1.       They are angry and irrational

2.       Lying, stealing, stealing from school and getting into trouble with the police

3.       Finding it hard to trust other people and to make friends.

Children who are sexually abused can:

 

1.       Suddenly behave differently when the harassment starts

2.       They think badly of them

3.       They do not look at themselves

4.       Use sexual expressions or ideas in their play that you usually see only in an adult

5.       Withdraw from them or be secretive

6.       Poor academic performance

7.       They begin to wet themselves or defile themselves

8.       Inability to sleep

9.       Behave in an attractive or improper manner

10.   Be afraid, be afraid of physical contact

11.   depressed and overeating or self-harm

12.   run away, commit immorality or engage in fornication

13.   you drink too much or start using drugs

14.   Developing an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia.

Children who are emotionally traumatized or neglected can:

 

1.       Slow to learn to walk and talk

2.       Powerlessness and can be spontaneous

3.       you have nutritional problems and grow slowly

4.       Finding it difficult to build a close relationship

5.       Be extremely friendly with strangers

6.       He gets along well with other children of his own age

7.       Inability to play thoughtfully

8.       They think badly of them

9.       Easily distracted and misbehaving at school.

 

Where can I get help?

First and foremost, the child must be protected from further abuse. If you suspect that a child is being bullied, you can help him or her to talk.

 

Social Services will need to be involved in finding:

 

1.       What happened

2.       If possible again

3.       What measures are needed to protect the child?

Your local social services counselor will be able to provide more detailed advice. It helps to talk to them even if you are unsure. Remember, we all need to protect our child from further harm.

 

Child Protection:

After the investigation, social workers can be satisfied that the problems have been fixed, and that the parents are no longer able to care for and protect the child properly. If so, they will remain involved only if the family needs their help. If social workers are concerned that a child is being abused, they will arrange a conference on child protection cases. Parents and professionals who know the child will be invited. A child and family support program will be developed and any injuries will be reported.

Help to look after the child:

 

When a child is abused within the family, the victim may sometimes be able to acknowledge his or her actions and seek help. They can then be helped to care for their child better.

 

In some cases, a child may need to be taken from an abusive adult because the risks of physical and emotional harm are high. This can be temporary, until things get more secure, or they can work permanently.

Specialist treatment:

Many children need professional treatment because of the abuse they have endured. Others receive help from family services run by Social Services.

 

If they are anxious, depressed or very difficult, the child and family may need help from local children and mental health services (CAMHS).

 

These professionals can work with the whole family or with children and young people alone. Sometimes they work with young people in groups. Individual treatment can be very helpful for children who have been sexually abused, or who have experienced serious trauma.

 

Children who are severely traumatized or neglected can be difficult to care for, and services can provide help and advice to parents and caregivers.

 

Case study: Kate’s storey aged 16^th y/o

 

"I started when I was about eight years old and my sister and I went to live with my aunts and uncles. My sister, aunt and cousins ​​came out, but I didn't feel well so I was left behind. My uncle said he had a game that would make me feel better. Barbie got married and went on with her Honeymoon - she said that at Honeymoon people do special things and she could show me what they were, but I shouldn't tell anyone because I would get into big trouble.

 

She took Barbie's clothes and I don't remember exactly what she did next. He said he could show me how to play the game that it would make him happy. It is very difficult to talk about what happened next. He then promised me that I would not tell anyone, that people would not understand, and that they would be angry with me. Then he gave me some sweets. After that, whenever I went to visit something happened.

 

At first he was nice to me and even though I didn't want to happen, I didn't want to upset him. I would pretend it was impossible.

 

Then I started to fear him, he would get angry. It was hard to pretend it wasn't happening and I thought about it so much, I felt really sad. My mother asked if anything was wrong but I couldn't tell her - she said she would be angry with me and that no one would believe me anyway. I felt miserable and scared and trapped - I hadn’t told anyone and I couldn’t stop.

 

I started cutting myself. I told my friend at school, she said she saw the program when the girl was crying over Child line. He helped me find the number and allowed me to use his mother's phone.

 

They talked to me, and that made me feel better. My friend told her mother, she told my mother. My mother was very upset but not angry - she said she was upset about what had happened. That it was not my fault. He spoke to the police. A female police officer and a social worker came to see me, and they were very well behaved. They asked me to tell them what had happened - it took me a long time. It wasn't like The Bill or anything, it was in a very normal room, not at the police station. They arrested my uncle.

 

We don't see my aunt now or my cousins ​​because they are upset that my mother has spoken to the police. My mother says we have done better, that we are better off and that we are safe. I feel so much better now. "

References

·         Rutter’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Fifth Edition (2008). Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell.

·         HM Government (UK). Working together to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. March 2010. 

·         Gilbert R, Spatz Widom C, Browne K, et al.,(2009). Burden and consequences of child maltreatment in high income countries. Lancet; 373:68-81.

·         Understanding the behavioral and emotional consequences of child abuse. Amaya-Jackson L (2008). Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect and Section on Adoption and Foster Care, Pediatrics. 2008 Sep; 122(3):667-73.

·         https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people/information-for-parents-and-carers/child-abuse-and-neglect---the-emotional-impact-on-children-and-adolescents-for-parents-and-carers

Credits

Revised by the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Child and Family Public Engagement Editorial Board (CAFPEB).

With grateful thanks to Dr Virginia Davies, Dr Vasu Balaguru, and Thomas Kennedy..

This resource reflects the best possible evidence at the time of writing.