exam 3 - child maltreatment Flashcards
physical abuse
multiple acts of aggression that cause physical harm to an individual
Physical abuse is not always premeditated
Happens more-so in the moment
EX// kicking, punching, hitting, beating, burning, etc…
sexual abuse
non-consensual sexual acts with a person.
As children, consent cannot be legally given even if they say “yes”.
Sexual abuse is premeditated with children being manipulated to prevent their understanding
EX// rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, prostitution, or production of pornography
psychological abuse
(emotional abuse) repeated acts or omissions that can negatively impact the mental well being of an individual
Acts challenge the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral well-being of the person
Acts may not be outright dangerous or cause physical harm but can change the trajectory of typical development
EX// cruel and unusual punishment (locked in a dark closet), verbal threats, belittling, put-downs, name-calling, etc…
Includes racial trauma
physical neglect
failure to provide for the “basic” physical needs of a child
EX// medical neglect: refusing to seek proper medical care when needed
educational neglect
failing to support and attend to the educational needs of a child
EX// failing to enroll child in school OR refusing to seek needed specialized educational plans for their child who requires assistance
emotional neglect
Inattention to the emotional, cognitive, and developmental needs of a child
EX// ignoring child’s need for affection, not providing psychological care, spousal abuse in child’s presence, permission for child to use drug or alcohol
polyvictimization
being victimized across multiple areas of life
Describes people who may have experienced various types of maltreatment rather than multiple episodes of just 1
EX// a child who has experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse, and emotional neglect
protective factors
having at least 1 protective “safe” adult can limit the impacts of maltreatment
Differentiating between traumatic events versus stressful events:
All traumatic events are stressful
Not all stressful events are traumatic
Trauma = more severe
Stressful = less severe
Traumatic events are life threatening
EX// car crash, sexual assault, attempted kidnapping
Stressful events are life changing
EX// moving, job change, change in finances
allostatic load
chronic stresses will pile up leading to health problems (mental or physical)
High allostatic load = higher risk for mortality
cycle-of-violence hypothesis
attempt to have control by being the 1 to put themselves back into violent situation
“exactly what I expected to happen”
expectable environment
conditions that are expected to occur during childhood in order for typical development to happen
EX// nurturing adults & opportunities for socialization are features fundamental for a child to healthily adapt to their environment
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
persistent anxiety 1+ month after a traumatic event
4 core features:
Intrusive thoughts: distressing memories, nightmares, or flashbacks
Avoiding distressing thoughts or stimuli reminders
Distorted thoughts or feelings: fear, blame, guilt, lack of positive feelings
Extreme arousal and reactivity: angry outbursts, sleep problems, or watchfulness
complex trauma
may involve exposure to multiple traumatic situations which create a complex set of symptoms
dissociation
disconnected from thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity
Prevalent in PTSD and especially C-PTSD
emotion regulation
actively avoid trauma-inducing stimuli which contributes to negative emotional responses which are considered hard to manage or regulate
information-processing disturbances
cognitive misperceptions and distortions in how events are perceived
traumatic sexualization
a possible outcome for child sexual abuse
Child’s sexual knowledge is shaped in inappropriate ways
reactive attachment disorder
Do not positively interact with strangers, emotional regulation is compromised, no positive bonds, do not seek comfort from caregivers, resistant to attempts made by caregiver
Longer term consequences
disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED)
Seek out attention and social connections in strangers, do not look to parents for “safety check-ins”, overly familiar with strangers (willing to venture off), shut down caregiver relationship
Appear to be very extroverted
Can be very dangerous
trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT)
Coping phase: Psychoeducation, relaxation skills, coping skills
Processing phase: Trauma narrative and processing
Closure Phase:
In vivo trauma reminders
Enhancing safety
Conjoint youth-caregiver/parent sessions
combination of exposure and skills training
How to build skills based specifically on the managing negative emotions and thoughts surrounding events
Finding ways to slowly expose them back to distressing situations
Beginning, middle, and end
exposure-based therapy
gradually exposing someone to fear inducing situations or activities
Has reduced acute stress symptoms
Hierarchy
acute stress disorder
symptoms of stress arise within the 1st month following a traumatic event (anything existing after 1 month may meet criteria for PTSD)
adjustment disorder
short-term diagnosis for individuals who react to common stress in unusual or disproportionate ways
differentiate between acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder and PTSD
Acute stress disorder lasts for less than 1 month while PTSD requires symptoms to be present for over 1 month
Adjustment disorder refers to inappropriate reactions to typical stresses (work, school, moving, etc…)
These symptoms are similar to those seen in acute stress disorder and PTSD but it is event itself that makes it different
