Report: Mental Abuse Harms Children

Mental abuse can harm a child as much as physical or sexual abuse, a new report says. The American Academy of Pediatrics, a group of children’s doctors, issued the report. Psychological maltreatment (abuse) includes ridiculing or humiliating a child. It also includes ignoring a child or withholding affection. Placing him or her in a dangerous situation is another form of abuse. So is cutting the child off from other human contacts. Such abuse has been linked with problems related to brain development and physical growth. It can harm a child’s social interactions, education and behavior. The report says doctors should be alert to signs of psychological abuse. But it admits that this is much harder to spot than physical abuse. Psychological abuse must be a pattern of actions. It’s not just a parent having a bad day. It is more common in families that are under stress.