Psychological Maltreatment Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover the core concepts of psychological maltreatment, including definitions, theories, consequences, and statistics to aid in studying for the exam.

Psychological Maltreatment

Emotional maltreatment of a child divided into psychological neglect and psychological abuse.

Psychological Neglect

A parent's failure to meet the emotional needs of their child, such as ignoring them or failing to make emotional contact.

Psychological Abuse

Parental behaviors that actively harm a child's mental health, such as yelling, belittling, or threatening.

Continuum of Behavior

A range of behaviors from healthy parenting to psychological maltreatment, where isolated incidents may not constitute abuse.

Spurning

Hostile and rejecting behaviors toward the child, such as belittling and shaming.

Terrorizing

Threatening the child or their loved ones, including threats of abandonment.

Isolating

Preventing appropriate social interaction with peers, such as confinement.

Exploiting/Corrupting

Encouraging developmentally inappropriate behaviors, like teaching a child to steal.

Denying Emotional Responsiveness

Ignoring the child or showing no affection toward them.

Mental Health, Medical, Educational Neglect

Ignoring a child's needs for necessary emotional, therapeutic, or educational services.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Theory that psychological maltreatment prevents children from fulfilling their needs for love, belonging, and esteem.

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Theory indicating that maltreatment derails early developmental crises, causing doubt instead of autonomy.

Attachment Theory

Theory positing that a lack of emotional availability from caregivers impedes secure attachment and future relationships.

Intrapersonal Problems

Internal psychological issues such as low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.

Emotional Dysregulation

Difficulty in managing emotional responses, often leading to impulsivity and eating disorders.

Social/Antisocial Problems

Challenges such as aggression, delinquency, social isolation, and sexual maladjustment.

Learning Problems

Academic failures, lower IQ scores, and increased symptoms of ADHD due to psychological maltreatment.

Physical Health Problems

Nonorganic failure to thrive, allergies, and self-injurious behaviors resulting from maltreatment.

State Variations

Differences in legal definitions of psychological maltreatment from one state to another.

Parental Intention

Most psychologists agree that a parent's intention does not mitigate the occurrence of maltreatment.

Overlap with Physical Abuse

Psychological maltreatment co-occurs in approximately 91% of physical abuse cases.

Incidence Gap

The discrepancy between retrospective reports of emotional abuse and official child protective services data.

Acts of Commission

Intentional harmful behaviors toward the child, like verbal insults and threats.

Acts of Omission

Failure to provide necessary emotional support and affection to the child.

Emotional Abuse

Patterned harmful behaviors that impact a child’s emotional wellbeing.

Emotional Neglect

The failure to meet a child's emotional needs through lack of affection and care.

APSAC

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children that categorizes psychological maltreatment.

Cultural Factors

Variations in parenting styles and how they relate to psychological maltreatment across different cultures.

Child Risk Factors

Characteristics that may increase a child's risk for experiencing psychological maltreatment, such as disabilities.

Canadian Statistics

Data showing the incidence of emotional maltreatment in Canada, including types and substantiation rates.

Long-Term Effects

Enduring issues in adulthood, such as higher rates of depression and anxiety resulting from childhood maltreatment.

Developmental Cascade

The sequence of emotional maltreatment leading to insecure attachment and consequent cognitive and social problems.

Key Exam Takeaways

Important concepts to remember regarding emotional maltreatment, including its patterns and effects.