The psychological effects of child abuse
From Borneo Post, nature & health 14 March 2009.
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, inadequte clothing, constant hunger, untreated medical problems, no social relationships and destructive tendencies. Emotional abuse of the child involves constantly blaming and putting down the child.
An emotionally-abused child shows aggressive or withdrawn behaviour, continual self-depreciation , inappropriate response to pain, neurotic behaviour like hair twisting or rocking, extreme fear to any new situation and extremes of passitivity or aggression. The child shows emotional and behavioral changes such as extreme reactions like self mutilation, depression, suicide attempts and anorexia, sudden lost of appetite, inability to concentrate, being isolated or withdrawn, being overly knowledgeable in a sxual way, and personality changes like becoming insecure or clinging.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.
Effects of abuse varies. It is very difficult for the child to cope up with long-lasting psychological effects. About 80% of abused childewn are at higher risk of developing certain serious psychiatric problems and mental illness.
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-esterem, paranoia, loneliness, poor relationship with the opposite sex, interpersonal sensitivity, lack of interest in daily activities and sense of dissociation.
The above are extracted from the paper, leaving out physical abuse related information
Interesting how psychology explains the cause and effects.
The more I read, the more I learn how wrong my life was. Today I’m ok. Tomorrow I’ll be good.
