Quote, Summary, Citation #3

"Physical and sexual assault often first come to mind when we hear of the term child abuse. However, emotional abuse is also part of the overall spectrum of child maltreatment and occurs concurrently with physical or sexual abuse. According to the American Humane Association [AHA], emotional abuse [also called psychological maltreatment] is a pattern of behavior by parents or caregivers that can seriously interfere in a child’s cognitive, emotional, psychological or social development. It is not an isolated or singular incident between parent and child, but a series of interactions that “erode and corrode” psychological well-being"[Garbarino & Gabarino, 1994].


The first things that come to mind when someone hears child abuse is usually physical and sexual assault. However, emotional abuse occurs along with physical or sexual abuse. According to the American Humane Association [AHA], emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior by parents that can get in the way of a child's cognitive, emotional, psychological or social development. It is not a remote or singular incident between parent and child, but a sequence of interactions that "erode and corrode" mental wellbeing. This article is saying that although physical and sexual abuse or assault are the first thing that often come to mind, emotional abuse is a big part of the whole cycle of abuse. It occcurs alongside physical and sexual abuse and all three often tie into each other when the consequences are being dealt out. This article is a very good resource for my blog. It provides great details about the different aspects of emotional abuse. It tells of the different types of emotional abuse and the different ways it can be shown such as: ignoring the child, rejecting them, isolating them, exploiting or corrupting them, verbally assaulting them, terrorizing them, and neglecting them.


Malchiodi, Cathy. "Children and Emotional Abuse: Healing the Hidden Hurt." wordpress.com. The National Institute For Trauma and Loss In Children, 11 Apr 2010. Web. 9 Apr 2011. <http://tlcinstitute.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/children-and-emotional-abuse-healing-the-hidden-hurt/>.