...ISSUE BRIEF November 2009 Understanding the Effects of Maltreatment on Brain Development What’s Inside: • How the Brain Develops This issue brief provides basic information on brain development and the effects of abuse and neglect on that development. The information is designed to help professionals understand the emotional, mental, and behavioral impact of early abuse and neglect in children who come to the attention of the child welfare system. • Effects of Maltreatment on Brain Development • Implications for Practice and Policy • Summary U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth and Families Children’s Bureau Child Welfare Information Gateway Children’s Bureau/ACYF 1250 Maryland Avenue, SW Eighth Floor Washington, DC 20024 800.394.3366 Email: info@childwelfare.gov www.childwelfare.gov Understanding the Effects of Maltreatment on Brain Development www.childwelfare.gov In recent years, there has been a surge of research into early brain development. New technologies, such as neuroimaging (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging or MRI), provide increased insight into how the brain develops and how early experiences affect that development. One area that has been receiving increasing research attention involves the effects of abuse and neglect on the developing brain, especially during infancy and early childhood. Much of this research is providing biological explanations for what practitioners...
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...characteristic of domestic violence is its innate ability to affect individuals regardless of age, race, nationality, or economic status. Although countless studies have researched the adverse effects of domestic on battered women, the effect of the violence on the children involved has been greatly ignored. It has been determined through myriad studies that domestic violence not only affects the mother’s caregiving abilities but also...
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...Infancy, according to Ainsworth, Erikson, and Bandura, and the impact neglect has on development Amy Wiltsie Professor Laura Schwinn, HSV 504 Introduction Childhood neglect endured during the infancy stage of development can influence and have a “snowball effect on their subsequent successes in later stage development” (Broderick & Blewitt, 2010 p. 9). Infancy, the time between birth and 12 months old, is a critical stage of development, as human growth escalates rapidly during the first few years of life. It is a period of growth that is especially sensitive and vulnerable to the effects of maltreatment (Hildyard & Wolfe, 2002). When childhood neglect occurs during this very sensitive period, issues of safety, attachment, and social-emotional functioning are often identified as areas that need immediate intervention. The following paper will focus on the issue of early childhood neglect and the possible effects it can have on development during infancy according to three expert theorists Mary Ainsworth, Erik Erikson, and Albert Bandura. This paper is also written using the stories from “Paul”, (a pseudonym), a victim of childhood neglect: My name is Paul. I was born in 1995 to my mother who was thirteen years old. Her boyfriend, my father, was seventeen. My father was never involved in my life, as he was actively involved in criminal behavior, which ultimately led to...
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...developed during early childhood – attachment, caregiving and sexuality – form the basis of romantic love in adulthood. The concept of attachment is derived from Bowlby’s (1969) theory. Bowlby claimed that relationships tend to be a continuation of the attachment style expressed in infancy (secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant) due to the internal working model of relationships that infants acquire from their caregiver(s). A child’s experience of attachment to a caregiver informs expectations of future relationships, including romantic ones. The caregiving and sexuality systems are also tied to attachment figures. “Caregiving” involves an individual’s knowledge of how to care for others, as learnt from the behaviour of the primary attachment figure in childhood. “Sexuality” also relates to attachment types. For example, individuals who experienced an insecure-avoidant attachment to their primary caregiver are more likely to pursue sex without love. Fraley (1998) conducted a meta-analysis of studies into the relationship between childhood caregiver attachment and adult romantic attachment to collect sufficient evidence for the claim. Fraley found relatively weak correlations (ranging from .10 to .50). One reason for the weakness of the correlations may be that attachment type changes over time rather than remaining the same post-infancy, as is often assumed. Significant relationship experiences throughout life can alter attachment type, as observed by Kirkpatrick and...
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...Child abuse Child abuse is the physical, sexual or emotional mistreatment or neglect of a child or children. Child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child. Child abuse can occur in a child's home, or in the organizations, schools or communities the child interacts with. There are four major categories of child abuse: neglect, physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, and child sexual abuse. Different jurisdictions have developed their own definitions of what constitutes child abuse for the purposes of removing a child from his/her family and/or prosecuting a criminal charge. According to the Journal of Child Abuse and Neglect, child abuse is "any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm". Types Child abuse can take several forms: The four main types are physical, sexual, psychological, and neglect. There are many effects of child neglect, such as children not being able to interact with other children around them. The continuous refusal of a child's basic needs is considered chronic neglect. Physical abuse Physical abuse involves physical aggression directed at a child by an adult. Most nations with child-abuse laws consider the deliberate infliction of...
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...B.D., Colwell, K. and Schick, S. Child Neglect in: Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment Vol 1.(David Levinson, Ed.) Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks pp 192-196, 2002 Introduction Child neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment (a broad category of behavior that also includes sexual, physical and emotional abuse). The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), a review of abuse and neglect data from all states, reported over 1,000,000 substantiated cases of abuse in its last review (annual year 1994). Fifty two percent of these cases were from neglect. The majority of the 2000 or more documented abuserelated deaths each year are due to neglect. These statistics are likely an underestimate of the actual occurrence of neglect. Neglect is the least studied and most poorly characterized form of child maltreatment. This is due to multiple factors including the difficulty in defining and documenting neglect in children. Definitions Neglect can occur in several forms. A broad definition of neglect is any failure to provide for the basic needs of the child. In practice, neglect is defined somewhat differently depending upon local statutory definitions. Common statutory categories include: (1) Medical neglectsuch as failure to provide visits to the doctor for routine checkups, not getting medical attention for injuries, failure to ensure compliance with necessary medical treatments such as providing insulin for a diabetic child....
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...Impact and Relationship of Substance Abuse and Child Maltreatment: Risk and Resiliency Factors What Research Tells Us Martha Morrison Dore, Ph.D. Columbia University School of Social Work 622 West 113th Street New York, New York 10027 212/854-5461 Paper prepared for presentation at the conference entitled “Protecting Children in Substance Abusing Families,” September 28, 1998, sponsored by the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, University of Minnesota School of Social Work, Minneapolis, MN. Researchers are just beginning to demonstrate empirically what child protective services workers have been observing for nearly two decades now: many, if not most, families who come to the attention of the child welfare system are involved with drugs or alcohol or both. Founded cases of child abuse and neglect have risen exponentially since the mid-1980s, when the crack form of cocaine, a cheap, easily used form of the drug, became widely available. Studies conducted since that time have identified substance abuse as a contributing factor in 40% to 80% of substantiated cases of child maltreatment (Curtis & McCullough, 1993; Magura & Laudet, 1996; Murphy, Jellinek, Quinn, Smith, Poitrast, & Goshko, 1991). Further, studies of substance abusing parents have found child-rearing beliefs and attitudes that heighten risk for child abuse (Williams-Peterson et al., 1994), as well as elevated rates of first-time reports to child protective services (Jaudes & Ekwo, 1995), re-reports...
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...Most of the time, physical abuse is not recognize by peoples as a serious problem. Physical abuse occurs when someone physically hurts you, such as by hitting you or throwing something at you. Even if someone only hits you once or doesn't hurt you that badly, it is a big deal. It may be not so serious because it seems they’re not badly hurt, but what the people doesn’t know is they are causing harm, a serious harm to that people they hurt physically.Abuse tends to escalate, putting you at greater risk in the future. Just one incident of being physically hurt by anyone is unacceptable, and you should take steps to stop the abuse. They cause harm in the sense that that even small hurting can cause hidden scars, Hidden scars which are formed by the emotional and psychological wounds. This Hidden scars is manifested by almost all of the people specifically during their teenage years. All parents want a disciplined and well behaved child. However, there are times when a parent loses control or simply has no control over their child. This is when simple parenting crosses the line and becomes emotional abuse. Emotional abuse is elusive. Unlike physical abuse, the people doing it and receiving it may not even know it is happening. It can be more harmful than physical abuse because it can undermine what we think about ourselves. It can cripple all we are meant to be as we allow something untrue to define us. Emotional abuse can happen between parent and child, husband and wife, among...
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...Safeguarding is a system put in place to protect children from intentional and unintentional abuse that may place them at risk of harm (Lonne et al. 2009). According to the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, Article 1, a ‘child’ means every human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier. (UNICEF, 2009). Under the Children Act 1989, a child is legally defined as ‘looked after’ by a local authority if he or she: • Is provided with accommodation for a continuous period for more than 24 hours • Is subject to care order; or • Is subject to a placement order A looked after child ceases to be looked after when he or she turns 18 years old. On reaching his or...
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...years. It will pose theories concerning a child’s early experiences, demonstrating the effect of the future of the child if their early years are problematic. Discussing implications of the child’s behaviour. For the purpose of this case study, due to the data protection act of 1998, the names of all involved have been changed to conceal their identity. It was on a bleak mid - winters early morning, in the Sea side town of Blackpool that Maggie Brown would be brought into the world. On that morning nobody could have anticipated that the years to follow would be as bleak. Maggie was rejected emphatically minutes after her birth. When Maggie was presented to her mother she shrieked to the nurses to “get that thing away from me”. Sarah, Maggie’s mother took her home reluctantly, starting what would be a threatening few years for Maggie. Despite Sarah expressing undesired feelings for her daughter, family members assumed they were a result of post natal depression and ignored them. Sarah even went to lengths of trying to give Maggie away on two occasions, once to a lady on her road who longed for a child. Maggie was hurriedly collected by her auntie and taken back home to her mother, where her aunt felt she belonged. Little did she know the consequences her actions would have on little Maggie’s life. Maggie started out life with her mother Sarah. The stigma of being a single parent enveloped Sarah from the moment she gave birth to her child. It was clear that Maggie was not a result...
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...The effect of child-caregiver interacton on the social-, emotional and cognitive development of children “Lack of caregiver-child interaction has been cited as a risk factor that contributes to loss of developmental potential. On the other hand, positive caregiver-child interactions are said to facilitate social-emotional development (Walker et al., 2011). This is especially true in infancy.” “Lack of caregiver-child interaction has been cited as a risk factor that contributes to loss of developmental potential. On the other hand, positive caregiver-child interactions are said to facilitate social-emotional development (Walker et al., 2011). This is especially true in infancy.” In this essay I wish to discuss the above emphasised statements in the context of normal social behaviour. This essay places specific emphases on three main areas; the role of attachment in child developement, how a lack of caregiver-child interactions affect the infant and the protective factors that could facilitate the child’s social-emotional development. After World War II, it was found that many children who lost their parents presented similar psychological difficulties (Cassidy & Shaver, 1999). Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby wrote a pamphlet on the situation, entitled “Meternal Deprivation”. Out of this work spawned the attachment theory. For the first time people became aware that the close careciver-child attachment, usually mother-child, was very important in the...
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...victims of child abuse or neglect in 2006 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). While physical injuries may or may not be immediately visible, abuse and neglect can have consequences for children, families, and society that last lifetimes, if not generations. The impact of child abuse and neglect is often discussed in terms of physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences. In reality, however, it is impossible to separate them completely. Physical consequences, such as damage to a child's growing brain, can have psychological implications such as cognitive delays or emotional difficulties. Psychological problems often manifest as high-risk behaviors. Depression and anxiety, for example, may make a person more likely to smoke, abuse alcohol or illicit drugs, or overeat. High-risk behaviors, in turn, can lead to long-term physical health problems such as sexually transmitted diseases, cancer, and obesity. This factsheet provides an overview of some of the most common physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences of child abuse and neglect, while acknowledging that much crossover among categories exists. Factors Affecting the Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect Physical Health Consequences Psychological Consequences Behavioral Consequences Societal Consequences Summary References The Federal Government has made a considerable investment in research regarding the causes and long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect...
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...CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study Child abuse is a global problem that has received tremendous attention in Western Countries. Not until recently was it confirmed that child abuse really existed in Africa generally and Nigeria in particular. The term “Child Abuse” refers to intention acts that result in physical or emotional harm to children. Child abuse covers a wide range of behaviour from physical assault by parents or other adult caretakers to neglect of child basic need. Traditionally, parent or adult have been entrusted by the society with the responsibility of caring for and guiding their children best interest. Observations have shown that parents or guardians differ in their ability to care for and protect their children. Thus the extent of child abuse is difficult to measure, culture around t he world have different standards in dealing in what constitutes child abuse. In Sweden, for example, the law prohibits any physical punishment of children, including spanking. By contrast, in some countries of Asia, Africa and the Caribbean parents are expected to punish their children by hitting them. Ordinarily, there is nothing wrong with that, but in cases where families or adults engage in practices that interfere with or inhibits a child, generally welfare and educational development, calls for serious concern in Africa in general cannot be left out in this performance problems. Often, feelings of guilt violation and lowered self esteem have...
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...How does attachment influence the social and emotional development of the child? In your answer refer to the usefulness and the critiques of the attachment theory. A child’s social and emotional development has significant implications for the social functioning of a child throughout their lives, in their education, friendships and employment. A child with poor or social and emotional development are at risk of experiencing poor relationships with peers, academic problems and can lead them into involvement in unsociable activities or crime. Research suggests the key to social and emotional development lies in the child’s early relationship with parents and caregivers. It is believed that children develop and thrive better when they are brought up in an environment where the caregiver satisfies a child’s needs physically and emotionally. Throughout the Late 1930s and 1940s a psychologist John Bowlby investigated the nature and the purpose of the close relationships that a person forms with people throughout their lives, in particular, childhood. He researched the making and breaking of bonds to understand the psychological behaviour and social and emotional development of human being (Howe, 1995, P46). As a result of these investigations and studies Bowlby developed a theory called the ‘Attachment Theory’. The basis of this theory is that “the infant and young child should experience warm, intimate and continuous relationships between the child and the mother” (Steele...
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...What Effects Do Parental Incarceration Have on Children? Parental incarceration can disrupt a child’s life by removing a key social support from their day-to-day routine, forcing the child to move to different households and schools with new expectations they must follow, and removing financial support once provided by the parent. In some cases, these disruptions can lead to insecure attachments to parents and caregivers, the child exhibiting antisocial behaviors and/or mental health issues, and engaging in criminal activity. However, none of these outcomes are guaranteed to occur, and factors or characteristics of the incarceration can change the severity with which the outcomes affect the child. Such factors include whether the parent...
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