The Psychological Effects of Child Abuse

Child abuse is intentional or unintentional harm or maltreatment to a child by another person, who may be his/her parents, relatives, guardians or other children. Child abuse can occur in any ethnic and cultural group. It may happen in homes, schools, organizations or communities. There are four major categories of child abuse such as physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and psychological or emotional abuse. Any form of abuse can cause a number of negative physical and emotional effects on the child. According to the reports of UNICEF, the United States and the United Kingdom have the lowest rates of child abuse. These countries give importance to the well-being of children.

Types of Child Abuse

Physical, emotional, sexual and neglect are the major types of child abuse. Physical abuse includes shaking, beating, hitting or burning the child. There may be repeated or unexplained injuries such as burns, bruises or welt marks on the child. The injuries may be caused by objects such as an electric cord or a belt buckle. Aggressive behavior or self-destructive tendencies of the child also indicate physical abuse. Child abuse by parents can be in the form of continuously neglecting the child or failing to fulfill the child’s physical needs such as food, shelter, clothing and medical care, as well as emotional needs like attention, care and affection. Such a neglected child has poor personal hygiene, inadequate clothing, constant hunger, untreated medical problems, no social relationships and destructive tendencies.

Emotional abuse of the child involves constantly blaming or putting down the child. An emotionally-abused child shows aggressive or withdrawn behavior, continual self-depreciation, inappropriate response to pain, neurotic behavior like hair twisting or rocking, extreme fear to any new situation and extremes of passivity or aggression. In case of sexual abuse, the child shows some physical signs such as pain, redness, swelling, itching and discharge in the genitals or rectal area, bruises or other injuries in the genitals and difficulty in sitting or walking. The child shows emotional and behavioral changes such as extreme reactions like self-mutilation, depression, suicide attempts and anorexia, sudden loss of appetite, inability to concentrate, being isolated or withdrawn, being overly knowledgeable in a sexual way, and personality changes like becoming insecure or clinging. Any kind of child abuse can be extremely harmful to the physical and psychological health of the child.

Psychological effects of Child Abuse

Physical, sexual or emotional abuse can leave severe impact on the child for years. It can cause several problems in the physical and emotional development of the child. The effects of abuse can vary from child to child, depending upon the severity and frequency of abuse, age of the child, child’s relationship with the abuser, availability of emotional support and the child’s capacity to cope. The abused child can recover from the physical harms and injuries with proper medical attention after some duration. But, it is very difficult for the child to cope up with long-lasting psychological effects. About 80% of abused children are at higher risk of developing certain serious psychiatric problems and mental illnesses. One of the most common psychological problems in a physically abused child is disruptive disorder. Physically abused children tend to show excessive aggressiveness and delinquent behavior. The child may become extremely violent or self-destructive.

Some other common psychological effects of child abuse are behavioral problems, attention problems, anxiety, alcohol abuse or drug abuse, bed-wetting, academic difficulties, concentration problems and chronic sexual behaviors. The abused child suffers from depression, insomnia, eating disorders, dissociative states, fear or shyness, failure to thrive, learning problems, inability to concentrate, panic attacks, malnutrition and repeated self-injury. An emotionally abused child suffers from low self-esteem, paranoia, loneliness, poor relationship with the opposite sex, interpersonal sensitivity, lack of interest in daily activities and sense of dissociation.

How to Minimize the Psychological effects of Child Abuse

The victim of abuse needs good care and emotional support from parents or relatives. The child should not feel lonely or helpless. As a parent, it’s your responsibility to make your child feel that you are always there for him/her. You should create a safe and supportive environment so that your child can come out of depression. Consult a psychiatrist and counselor in order to treat psychological and behavioral disorders. You can also take the help of various therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy. You can join parenting and anger management classes, which can help improve your parenting skills. The child may require some time to come out of psychological effects of abuse. Try to keep him/her engaged in some interesting activities.

Children are our most valuable possession. They represent our future. What they need is your intense love, care and attention. Let these little angels grow up in a pleasant and secure atmosphere. A positive outlook towards child safety can ensure this.