Describe the various forms of childhood maltreatment. What are some possible long-term effects of maltreatment?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Maltreatment can take several specific forms and the same child can be a victim of more than one kind. Some forms of maltreatment are physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional maltreatment.

1. Physical abuse refers to injury to the body through punching, beating, kicking, or burning.
2. Neglect is the failure to meet a child's basic needs, such as food, clothing, medical care, protection, and supervision.
3. Sexual abuse refers to any sexual activity involving a child and an older person.
4. Emotional maltreatment includes rejection; terrorization; isolation; exploitation; degradation; ridicule; or failure to provide emotional support, love, and affection.

Without help, maltreated children are likely to grow up with problems and continue the cycle of maltreatment when they have children of their own. Abuse and neglect in childhood result in an elevated risk that the victims will, when grown, become abusers as well. An estimated one-third of adults who were abused and neglected in childhood victimize their own children.

Consequences of maltreatment in childhood may include poor physical, mental, and emotional health and impaired brain development. Children who are maltreated may be less effective at regulating their emotions, and their peer relationships may suffer. Additionally, there may be cognitive, language, attentional, and academic difficulties, as well as problems with attachment and social relationships. In adolescence, there is a heightened risk of poor academic achievement, delinquency, teenage pregnancy, risky sexual behaviors, mental illness, alcohol and drug use, and suicide. There are also long-term influences on physical health. Adults who were abused tend to suffer from poor health and to develop fatal illnesses, such as stroke, cancer, and heart disease. Last, adults who were abused as children have lower levels of education, are less likely to be employed, earn less money, and have fewer assets than adults who were not abused as children, an effect that is stronger for women.

Sexual abuse is particularly harmful. Sexually abused children often become sexually active at an earlier age and tend to have higher numbers of sexual partners than children who were not sexually abused. Sexually abused children are more likely to mistrust people and to engage in violence in their relationships. As adults, children who were sexually abused tend to be more anxious, depressed, or suicidal and are more likely to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. They are also more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. Moreover, sexual abuse may also compromise physical health: Sexual abuse survivors are more likely to be obese or suffer from stress-related or autoimmune disorders.

Many maltreated children show remarkable resilience. Optimism, self-esteem, intelligence, creativity, humor, and independence are also protective factors, as is the social support of a caring adult.