Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

different types of child maltreatment

• neglect

• abuse

types of neglect

• physical

• emotional

• educational

types of abuse

• physical

• psychological

• sexual

physical neglect

failure to provide for a child’s basic corporal needs, including lack of health care or food

emotional neglect

failure to provide for a child’s feelings, including marked inattention to the child’s needs for affection

educational neglect

failure to provide for a child’s basic intellectual needs, including allowing chronic truancy (skipping)

physical abuse

infliction or risk of bodily injury as a result of punching, beating, or otherwise intentionally harming a child

psychological abuse

mistreatment involving actions by parents or caregivers that cause serious behavioural, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders

sexual abuse

mistreatment of children that includes fondling a child’s genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, and exploitation

stressful event

tense incident that stems from a single occurrence or multiple or ongoing tense situations

traumatic event

exposure to actual or threatened harm or fear of death or injury

child maltreatment

abuse and neglect of children by parents or by others responsible for their welfare

expectable environment

any external condition surroundings that are considered to be fundamental and necessary for healthy development

allostatic load

progressive “wear and tear” on biological systems caused by chronic stress

polyvictimization

experience of being singled out for abuse across multiple domains of the child’s life

relational disorder

disorder that occurs in the context of relationships, such as child abuse and neglect

information-processing disturbance

cognitive misperception and distortion in the way events are perceived and interpreted

reactive attachment disorder (RAD)

disorder characterized by a pattern of disturbed and developmentally inappropriate attachment behaviours

disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED)

disorder characterized by a pattern of overly familiar and culturally inappropriate behaviour with relative strangers

acute stress disorder

immediate reaction after exposure to an extreme trauma characterized by symptoms associated with negative mood, dissociation and avoidance

adjustment disorder

short-term diagnosis given to individuals who react to common forms of stress in an unusual or disproportionate manner

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

disorder wherein the child displays persistent anxiety following exposure to or witnessing of an overwhelming upsetting event

cycle-of-violence hypothesis

repetition of patterns of violent behaviour across generations

dissociation

altered state of consciousness in which the individual feels detached from the body or self

traumatic sexualization

outcome of child sexual abuse, wherein the child’s sexual knowledge and behaviour are shaped in developmentally inappropriate ways

emotion regulation

process by which emotional arousal is redirected, controlled, or modified to facilitate adaptive functioning

trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy (TF-CBT)

treatment for children who have significant emotional or behavioural difficulties related to one or more stressful life events