Child Maltreatment: A Quick Snapshot

Written by Dr Rob Thomson

PhD · Brainwave Trust Researcher/Kaiako

What is child maltreatment?

Child maltreatment is considered either actions or inactions by a parent or caregiver that result in harm, potential for harm, or a threat of harm to a child.

Types of maltreatment may include:

1. Physical abuse – acts that cause (or create risk) of physical harm (e.g. hitting).
2. Psychological maltreatment – behaviours that harm the child’s mental health (e.g. demeaning language).
3. Sexual abuse – where the child is used for a sexual purpose including contact abuse (e.g. sexual acts) and non-contact abuse (e.g. exhibitionism or pornography).
4. Neglect – failure to meet a child’s basic physical or social needs (e.g. shelter, food, appropriate supervision, attention or love), and failure to ensure a child’s safety.
5. Witnessing family violence – seeing or hearing violence, or abuse between adults.

• Psychological maltreatment and neglect may be the most damaging, as these can convey to a child that they are worthless, unloved, or unwanted.
• Children who are maltreated are often exposed to more than one type of maltreatment, which may have a greater effect.

What are the effects of child maltreatment?

Every child is unique, and the effects of maltreatment can differ widely. Some of the effects may be:

• physical injuries, which may require medical treatment, and potentially death
• mental health issues including internalising (e.g., depression and anxiety) and externalising behaviours (e.g., aggression)
• difficulties in learning and social development
• changes in brain structure, function, and systems that are important for managing stress, learning, and developing positive relationships.

Children who appear to show minimal effects of maltreatment during childhood (or the ‘silent period’) may show the effects later in life, particularly in adolescence…

Child Maltreatment: A Quick Snapshot