Consequences of Abuse and Neglect on Children
The consequences of child abuse and neglect can be devastating. This subject has been studied for decades, and the effects can ruin lives with 30% of the childhood victims becoming abusers themselves. When humans are young, their world revolves around their parents or primary caregivers. Parents or caregivers are the primary source of safety, security, love, understanding, nurturance and support. Child abuse violates the trust at the core of a child’s relationship with the world” (Walker, 1994). NOT all abusers are the child’s parents, but can be a neighbor, relative, babysitter, stranger, or a teacher. It can be anyone with access to your child.
Abuse and neglect run uncontrollably among low-income families, especially those with substance abuse. Heads of households are often of poor health, abusers, alcoholics, and/or under educated. The children in these households receive inadequate health care and education. Several million children are reported abused every year to our child welfare system. Once in the system, families can remain there for generations.
“Many survivors” lives are characterized by frequent crises e.g. job disappointments, relocations, failed relationships, financial setbacks. Many are the result of unresolved childhood abuse issues. The reasons are complex, but for many survivors ongoing internal chaos prevents the establishment of regularity, predictability and consistency. Many survivors function in ‘crisis mode’, responding with stopgap measures which don’t resolve the underlying issues. This can be exhausting and dispiriting and contribute to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness” (The Morris Center, 1995). Many come through the abuse (if it is not severe and prolonged) with no major consequences. Their abuser may not have had an opportunity for on-going abusive behavior. A small percentage find a way to break the cycle of abuse, and go on and have families they do not abuse.
Psychological consequences of abuse can range from low self-esteem to severe dissociative disorders. The cognitive effects run the gamut from attention disorders to severe decreased mental functions. Behaviorally, the consequences range from having a poor rapport with peers to extremely violent behaviors. The consequences do not just effect the victim, but the society where they live.
Professor Bessel van Der Kolk, Harvard Medical School conducted a five year study of 528 trauma patients from American hospitals. This study identified a spectrum of symptoms that correlated well with prolonged severe childhood sexual abuse:
“… the inability to regulate emotions like rage and terror, along with intense suicidal feelings, somatic disorder, negative self-perception, poor relationships, chronic feelings of isolation, despair and hopelessness, and dissociation and amnesia.”
The implications are real-world childhood… trauma may be responsible for many psychopathologies usually considered to have endogenous origins, including various kinds of phobic, depressive, anxiety and eating disorders, not to mention borderline personality, antisocial personality and multiple personality disorder (DID).
