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Why should child welfare pay more attention to emotional maltreatment?

Author

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  • English, Diana
  • Thompson, Richard
  • White, Catherine Roller
  • Wilson, Dee

Abstract

A significant body of research indicates that emotional maltreatment (EMT) is harmful to children, resulting in long-term negative impacts on emotional and behavioral development. The child welfare system's focus on physical abuse, physical neglect, and sexual abuse has led a relative lack of attention to EMT. Reported rates of EMT vary widely across states – ranging from 0.2% to 44.9% in a recent national report on child maltreatment – indicating that it is not being measured consistently. This paper uses data collected by the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) to (1) describe the nature and characteristics of emotional maltreatment experienced by 846 LONGSCAN youth across time, and (2) describe the relation between four subtypes of emotional maltreatment (psychological safety and security, acceptance and self-esteem, autonomy, and restriction) and child trauma symptoms and risk behaviors at age 18. Exposure to EMT was related to increased trauma symptoms and risky behaviors. EMT is common, identifiable, harmful, and potentially preventable; and a better understanding of it will help to inform the provision of effective child welfare and mental health services to children and their families. Findings suggest a need for greater understanding of parental behaviors, and the motivations behind them, that result in emotionally harmful outcomes for children, as well as a better understanding of appropriate interventions for children who experience various types of EMT.

Suggested Citation

  • English, Diana & Thompson, Richard & White, Catherine Roller & Wilson, Dee, 2015. "Why should child welfare pay more attention to emotional maltreatment?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 53-63.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:50:y:2015:i:c:p:53-63
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.01.010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Baker, Amy J.L. & Festinger, Trudy, 2011. "Emotional abuse and emotional neglect subscales of the CTQ: Associations with each other, other measures of psychological maltreatment, and demographic variables," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(11), pages 2297-2302.
    2. Simmel, Cassandra & Shpiegel, Svetlana, 2013. "Describing the context and nature of emotional maltreatment reports in children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 626-633.
    3. Nikolay Nenovsky & S. Statev, 2006. "Conclusion," Post-Print halshs-00260901, HAL.
    4. Baker, Amy J.L., 2009. "Adult recall of childhood psychological maltreatment: Definitional strategies and challenges," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(7), pages 703-714, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nathalie Plante & Lilian Negura, 2021. "Social Representations of Children and Parents in Parliamentary-Committee Debates about the Inclusion of Child Psychological Maltreatment in the Quebec Youth Protection Act," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, September.
    2. Cheng, Tyrone C. & Lo, Celia C., 2018. "Racial disparities in the proportion of needed services maltreated children received," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 72-81.
    3. Cho, Bridget & Jackson, Yo, 2016. "Self-reported and case file maltreatment: Relations to psychosocial outcomes for youth in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 241-247.
    4. White, Catherine Roller & English, Diana & Thompson, Richard & Roberts, Yvonne Humenay, 2016. "Youth self-report of emotional maltreatment: Concordance with official reports and relation to outcomes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 111-121.

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