Child psychological abuse as damaging as physical abuse - study

Certainly not downplaying the physical and sexual abuse that children can cop, but a new study has found that psychological abuse is as damaging to the kid as psychical and sexual abuse.

Cripes, I know the upbringing in country New Zealand in a demonstrably dysfunctional family was a horrifying experience, but I didn't expect me to be described so comprehensively. 

I come from a large family in New Zealand, who as each kid got old enough to leave they sort of wandered off aghast at the nightmare growing up in that family was.

Children who had been psychologically abused suffered from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, symptoms of post-traumatic stress and suicidality at the same rate and, in some cases, at a greater rate than children who were physically or sexually abused. Among the three types of abuse, psychological maltreatment was most strongly associated with depression, general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, attachment problems and substance abuse. Psychological maltreatment that occurred alongside physical or sexual abuse was associated with significantly more severe and far-ranging negative outcomes than when children were sexually and physically abused and not psychologically abused, the study found. Moreover, sexual and physical abuse had to occur at the same time to have the same effect as psychological abuse alone on behavioral issues at school, attachment problems and self-injurious behaviors, the research found. 

"Child protective service case workers may have a harder time recognizing and substantiating emotional neglect and abuse because there are no physical wounds," said Spinazzola. "Also, psychological abuse isn't considered a serious social taboo like physical and sexual child abuse. We need public awareness initiatives to help people understand just how harmful psychological maltreatment is for children and adolescents." more