Child Maltreatment Midterm 2

What is the definition of child neglect

An act of omission where a caregiver fails to provide the minimum acceptable level of care for a child’s health and development

What is an act of omission

Not acting when action is required, such as not feeding or not supervising a child

How does neglect differ from ideal care

Neglect is the failure to meet minimal standards, not the failure to provide perfect parenting

What does the Arizona neglect statute include

Both the inability and the unwillingness of a parent to provide for the child

How does Nevada define neglectful parents

It only labels them as neglectful if they fail to provide when they are able to do so

What is the poverty exclusion in Wisconsin

Neglect is the failure to provide for reasons other than poverty

Why does poverty not automatically equal neglect

Poverty increases stress and risk, but neglect requires a failure to meet minimal needs regardless of income

What is fetal neglect in Canada

Fetuses are not legal persons, so statutes only apply once the child is born

What defines fetal neglect in some US states

A newborn testing positive for drugs, showing withdrawal symptoms, or having FASD

What is physical neglect

The failure to provide basic physical needs like food, shelter, clothing, and protection from hazards

What is supervisory neglect

The failure to provide developmentally appropriate supervision, such as leaving an infant unattended

What is medical neglect

The failure to seek or follow prescribed medical treatment or address mental health needs

What is educational neglect

The failure to enroll a child in school, address truancy, or meet special education needs

What are Safe Haven laws

Laws that allow parents to anonymously surrender infants at designated locations without prosecution

What BMI percentile defines severe obesity

A BMI greater than the 99th percentile

What is the growth yardstick for neglect

If a child is a normal height and weight and is medically stable, food needs are presumed to be met

When does obesity become medical neglect

When there is immediate harm, state intervention would help, and other strategies are exhausted

What happened in the Anamarie Martinez-Regino case

A 3-year-old weighing 131 lbs was removed for two months after parents failed to follow a medical diet

What are psychological costs of removal

Disrupted attachment, increased trauma, produced shame, and created instability

How does neglect affect brain synapses

Neglect understimulates the brain and disrupts the formation of synaptic connections

What does chronic neglect activate in the stress system

It activates the HPA axis, leading to elevated cortisol levels

What are structural findings in neglected brains

Reduced cerebral white matter volume and slower information processing

What is the Developmental Cascade Model

A framework showing how early brain disruption leads to executive deficits and later instability

How does neglect affect middle childhood socialization

Neglected children are often rejected or invisible and struggle with social language

What is Nonorganic Failure to Thrive (NFTT)

An infant falling below the 5th percentile for growth due to lack of emotional attachment

What is Avoidant Attachment

An insecure style where the infant seems unresponsive to the parent and shows no preference for them over a stranger

What is Resistant Attachment

An insecure style where the infant is clingy but angry upon the parent's return and hard to calm

What is Disorganized Attachment

Attachment characterized by inconsistent parenting, making relationships feel confusing or unworthy

What is the most common subtype of neglect

Supervisory neglect, accounting for about 70% of substantiated cases

Which gender is more likely to be a perpetrator of neglect

Women (86%), as they are often the primary caretakers

What is environmental neglect

When a child’s home presents a safety or health hazard, such as extreme filth or hoarding

What is mental health neglect

The failure to seek help for a child’s severe psychological problems or follow therapeutic procedures

What is the "neglect of neglect"

The tendency for neglect to receive less research and public attention than physical or sexual abuse

What is a resilient child

A child who survives maltreatment with minimal negative effects due to internal or external support

How does neglect affect adult relationships

It leads to attachment insecurity, trust issues, and conflict regulation problems

Psychological Maltreatment (Lecture 5 & Chapter 6)

What is psychological maltreatment

Caregiver behaviours that harm a child’s emotional development, mental health, or self-worth

What is the difference between psychological neglect and abuse

Neglect is a failure to meet emotional needs

Why is defining psychological maltreatment difficult

Parenting exists on a continuum and identifying the line between poor parenting and abuse is subjective

Does parental intent determine abuse

No, even well-meaning parents can cause psychological harm

What is the APSAC subtype Spurning

Hostile and rejecting behaviour like belittling, shaming, and ridiculing

What is the APSAC subtype Terrorizing

Threatening violence or abandonment, or placing a child in dangerous situations

What is the APSAC subtype Isolating

Preventing a child from normal social interactions or confining them

What is the APSAC subtype Exploiting/Corrupting

Encouraging inappropriate or illegal behaviour like teaching a child to steal

What is the APSAC subtype Denying Emotional Responsiveness

Ignoring the child emotionally and showing no affection

What are Glaser's Negative Attributions

When parents consistently assume a child has bad intentions for their actions

What are Developmentally Inappropriate Expectations

Expectations beyond a child's maturity, like punishing a toddler for not understanding time

What is Cinderella Syndrome

Making one child in the family the exclusive target of rejection or exploitation

What are physical signs of emotional maltreatment

Headaches or stomach aches with no medical cause and failure to gain weight

What are behavioral signs of emotional maltreatment

Being overly compliant, desperately affectionate, or having abnormal fears

What is the overlap between physical and psychological abuse

91% of physically abusive families also engage in psychological maltreatment

What did the CIS-2008 study find

7% of investigations focused on emotional maltreatment, and 48% were substantiated

How does Maslow's theory relate to this

Psychological maltreatment prevents children from meeting safety and belonging needs

What is Erikson’s Trust vs Mistrust

If caregivers are emotionally abusive, mistrust develops and affects all future development

What are the 5 major impact areas of consequences

Intrapersonal, Emotional, Social/Antisocial, Learning, and Physical health

What is Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)

Intentional self-harm like cutting without suicidal intent, linked to emotional abuse

What is the most important protective factor

Supportive adult relationships

When was child psychological abuse added to the DSM

In the DSM-5 published in 2013

What is mentalizing

The ability to understand our own mental state and the mental states of others

What is anhedonia

A lack of positive affect or the inability to experience pleasure, linked to emotional neglect

What is depersonalization

A form of dissociation where one’s thoughts and feelings seem unreal

What is emotional dysregulation

The inability to regulate emotional responses or tolerate negative states

What is a "Tough Love" example of abuse

Forcing a teen to sleep on a dog mat or sending them to school with dog feces

How does EPM affect IQ

It is associated with lower IQ scores and academic underachievement

What is the interaction approach

Defining maltreatment based on the interaction between parental behaviour and child vulnerability

What is the "Conspiracy of Silence"

A 1978 book that brought survivor testimonies of sexual abuse to the public

Sexual Abuse (Lecture 6 & Chapter 7)

What are Finkelhor’s two requirements for consent

Knowledge (understanding the act) and Authority/Autonomy (the power to say no)

What is the Child Protection perspective on sexual abuse

It views abuse as a form of family pathology and focuses on repairing the family system

What is the Feminist perspective on sexual abuse

It views abuse as a societal problem rooted in patriarchal power structures

What is the difference between a molester and a pedophile

A molester is anyone who abuses

What are paraphilias

Atypical sexual interests such as pedophilia, voyeurism, or exhibitionism

What is the age of consent in Canada

It is 16 years old

What is the "position of authority" rule for consent

Children under 18 cannot consent to sex with teachers, coaches, or guardians

What are the legal risks of sexting

Minors can be charged with the production or distribution of child pornography

Who are the most common perpetrators of sexual abuse

Males, accounting for an estimated 95-98% of cases

What is a fixated offender

An offender whose primary sexual interest is in children and who is often emotionally immature

What is a regressed offender

An abuser normally attracted to adults who offends during times of stress

What percentage of sexual abuse is committed by family

Approximately 30%

What percentage of sexual abuse is committed by strangers

Only 10-18%

What is the peak age of vulnerability for sexual abuse

Between 7 and 13 years old

What is the first stage of Summit's Accommodation Syndrome

Secrecy

What is the second stage of Summit's Accommodation Syndrome

Helplessness

What is the third stage of Summit's Accommodation Syndrome

Entrapment and Accommodation

What is the fourth stage of Summit's Accommodation Syndrome

Delayed or conflicted disclosure

What is the fifth stage of Summit's Accommodation Syndrome

Retraction

What is Sibling Sexual Assault Incest (SSA)

Abuse involving power asymmetry between siblings, often early onset and chronic

What was the McMartin Preschool case

A major trial involving fantastical allegations that resulted in no convictions and was later criticized

What is CSAM

Child Sexual Abuse Material, the modern term for child pornography

What is Project Arachnid

A Canadian initiative to remove CSAM from the internet

What is grooming

The process an offender uses to prepare a child, adults, and the environment for abuse

What is self-grooming

When an offender justifies their behaviour through denial and cognitive distortions

What is grooming the environment

Building trust with parents and the community to gain access to children

What are the steps of grooming the child

Special attention, gifts, physical affection, and gradual sexualization

What trauma symptoms do boys typically show

More externalizing behaviour like aggression or conduct problems

What trauma symptoms do girls typically show

More internalizing problems like depression and anxiety

What is hypervigilance in sexual abuse victims

Excessive watchfulness and scanning the environment for signs of danger

What is the "Trauma Myth" proposed by Clancy

The idea that many children do not experience abuse as traumatic at the time because they lack understanding

How does CSA affect BPD

There is a high correlation between sexual abuse history and Borderline Personality Disorder

What is infantile amnesia

The normal inability of adults to remember much about the first 3 years of their life