Psychological Maltreatment of Children

1. Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect
Tenth Edition
Chapter 9
Psychological Maltreatment
of Children
PowerPoint Lecture
Slides prepared by
Piljoo Kang, Ph.D.
Toccoa Falls College
Copyright © 2021, 2014, 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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Learning Objectives (1 of 2)
After studying this chapter, you should be able to
9.1 define psychological maltreatment and outline the types
of psychological abuse.
9.2 describe the roots of psychological abuse and some of
the cultural implications of this type of abuse.
9.3 describe how psychological abuse impacts children
including their brain development.

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Learning Objectives (2 of 2)
9.4 explain the family dynamics often present in
psychological abuse cases.
9.5 define ritual abuse and why it might be included under
psychological abuse as well as sexual abuse.

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Psychological Maltreatment Defined
• Repeated, intentional, and inappropriate behavior that
demeans a child or damages his/her self-concept
• Difficult to define or isolate, often underlying other
abuses; psychological manipulation intensifies scars of
all types of abuse; earlier terms include mental cruelty;
emotional maltreatment
• Not an isolated incident, but a pattern of intentional
psychically destructive behaviors such as
– rejecting, isolating, terrorizing, ignoring, corrupting,
verbally assaulting, & overpressuring.
– destroying personal possessions & torturing pets

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The Roots of Psychological
Maltreatment
• Lack of appropriate means to fulfill parents’ “healthy
narcissistic needs” (Covitz)
• Dysfunctional family communication patterns, and
societal pressures (Garbarino & Eckenrode)
• Other factors: family disruption, difficult marital
relationship, divorce, poverty, unemployment, isolation,
mobility, and prejudice
• Parents may be triggered by a quality in child (i.e.
hyperactivity, not meeting parent’s expectations, etc.)

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Characteristics of the Psychologically
Maltreated Child
• Feelings of being inadequate, isolated, unwanted,
unworthy, or unloved.
• Low self-esteem
• Respond by
– externalizing, becoming hostile and aggressive
– internalizing, become self-destructive, depressed,
withdrawn, or suicidal
• Adverse childhood experiences, such as psychological
abuse, can result in impaired brain development

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Family Dynamics in Psychological
Abuse
• Parent may be disillusioned with their own lives (or
partner) and consciously or unconsciously look for
substitutes on whom to vent their anger and
disillusionment.
• Alcoholism or drug-addiction: children suffer
secondhand emotional abuse of shame and humiliation
• Divorce: parents may ask children to pick sides, or may
become preoccupied and unavailable
• Mental illness: may exhibit inappropriate emotional
responses to their children’s emotional expressions.

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Cultural Considerations
• Cultural practices of one country/group may be viewed as
psychologically harmful to another culture group.
– Ex) a culturally accepted practice (use of ‘shame’ as a
part of socialization), intended to strengthen a child’s
character, may seem emotionally abusive to other
culture groups
– In immigrant families: as the child becomes more
acculturated (in American culture) than the parents, the
child may see the practice as abusive

9. Copyright © 2021, 2014, 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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