Behavioral Health Articles
Long-Term Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect
by Nancy Hart, Contributing Writer
Cortland County has the dubious distinction of having one of the highest rates of child abuse and neglect in New York State. We see the immediate results every day: families separated, children in foster care, injuries, and sometimes, even deaths.
But there are other consequences of abuse and neglect that can last lifetimes, and follow families for generations. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, “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.”
The psychological consequences of child abuse and neglect can be devastating to children growing to adulthood. Children who are mistreated often show symptoms of depression, withdrawal, and an inability to bond. Dr. Gregory Keck, a specialist working with adopted children who have suffered early abuse, explains that as the parent-child bond is interrupted, “problems arise in these areas: social, behavioral, emotional and cognitive development, cause and effect thinking, conscience development, relationships, parenting, and accepting responsibility.”
In one study, up to 80 percent of young adults who had been abused “met the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder at age 21.” Mental health problems associated with abuse and neglect included depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide attempts, as well as panic disorders, dissociative disorders, ADHD, posttraumatic stress disorder and reactive attachment disorder. Children also suffered long-term loss in learning abilities, language development and academic achievement, and exhibited antisocial behavior, borderline personality disorders and violent behavior.
These mental health consequences of abuse and neglect may lead to behavioral and societal consequences, such as delinquency, substance abuse, sexual risk-taking and teen pregnancy. Additionally, abusive parents often were abused or neglected as children. Prevent Child Abuse New York estimates that one-third of abused and neglected children will eventually victimize their own children.
Why do some children seem to avoid these terrible consequences? Researchers have discovered some of the protective factors which may contribute to a child’s resilience. These include qualities of optimism, intelligence, creativity, humor, independence, social support, and a caring adult in the child’s life.
The US Department of Health and Human Services describes another set of protective factors in Promoting Healthy Families in Your Community. These factors are “conditions in families and communities that, when present, increase the health and well-being of children and families” by serving as “buffers, helping parents who might otherwise be at risk of abusing their children to find resources, supports or coping strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress.” Factors which are linked to a lower incidence of abuse and neglect include nurturing and attachment between parents and their children; parental knowledge of parenting skills and child and youth development; parental resilience; social connections; and concrete supports for parents. These protective factors can be fostered by community and family activities which promote positive parent/child interactions, formal and informal teaching of positive parenting and discipline skills, social connections, and community building.
Currently, most child abuse prevention efforts take place after abuse or neglect have occurred. We stigmatize “those families” whom we believe are at risk for child maltreatment. In reality, the stresses that lead parents to abuse or neglect their children are not restricted by economic status, education, or culture. As a community, we need to work to promote the protective factors which will help all families in the Cortland area parent safely and effectively. Only then can we expect to prevent the long term consequences of child maltreatment.
Resources: www.childwelfare.gov/pubs.factsheets; www.preventchildabuseny.org; National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information.
Nancy Hart is the coordinator of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland County’s Family Fun & Resource Center, which works to increase protective factors for Cortland area families. For more information, please call the FFRC at 607-753-1351.
She is a member of the Think Again! Group (TAG) which seeks to eliminate the stigma associated with mental health issues in the Cortland area.