Emotional and physical abuse

Question 1

What is emotional abuse?

Answer 1

persistent emotional maltreatment of child resulting in severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development

Question 2

What might emotional abuse to a child involve? 6 examples

Answer 2

1. conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person
2. developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children - interactions beyond child’s developmental capability
3. overprotection and abnormal social interaction
4. eeing or hearing the ill treatment of another child or person
5. ullying that causes children to feel frightened or in danger
6. exploitation or corruption of children

Question 3

What are 3 clues about how the parent perceives a child that can suggest emotional abuse?

Answer 3

1. perceive child as the wrong gender
2. child born at time of parental separation or violence
3. child seen as unduly ‘difficult’

Question 4

What are 2 clues in the behaviour of babies suggesting emotional abuse?

Answer 4

1. Apathetic, delayed development, non-demanding
2. Described by mother as ‘spoiled, attention seeking, in control, not loving her’

Question 5

How might a toddler/pre-school child’s behaviour suggest emotional abuse?

Answer 5

violent, apathetic, fearful

Question 6

How might a school child’s behaviour suggest emotional abuse?

Answer 6

wetting, soiling, relationship difficulties, nonattendance, antisocial behaviour

Question 7

How might an adolescent’s behaviour suggest emotional abuse?

Answer 7

self-harm, depression, oppositional, aggressive, deilnquent behaviour

Question 8

In addition to emotional abuse by a parent/carer, what else is considered emotional abuse?

Answer 8

bullying by other children