ECH130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Cognitive Development, Rodent, Civic Holiday
29 May 2018
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Department
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Professor
Child Maltreatment
• Definitions and statistics related to child maltreatment –
o Definitions of neglect and abuse
▪ Neglectful behaviour refers to the failure to provide for a
child’s basic needs
▪ Physically neglectful behaviours include a failure to provide
adequate:
• Food
• Shelter
• Clothing
• Supervision
• Hygiene or
• Medical or
• Dental attention
▪ Updated definitions now include categories such as
psychological and emotional neglect
▪ Warning signs of neglect in children:
• Failure to thrive → small for age, loss of hair, delayed
milestones
• Clothes → are ill-fitting, filthy or inappropriate for the
weather
• Hygiene → consistently poor – unbathed, matted and
unwashed hair, noticeable body odour
• Poor school attendance
• Untreated illnesses and physical injuries
• Frequently unsupervised or left alone or allowed to play
in unsafe situations and environments
• Savaging or stealing food
• Is frequently late or missing from school
▪ Types of Abuse:
• Physical injury
• Sexual abuse
• Psychological harm (emotional maltreatment)
• Witnessing family violence
• An additional abuse issue is System Abuse, where a
child experiences significant distress and trauma under
state care e.g. traumatic child protection investigations,
being moved around to different foster homes,
prolonged hospitalisations
o Definitions of Physical Abuse
▪ Refers to any non-accidental physically aggressive act
towards a child
▪ May be intentional or may be the inadvertent result of
physical punishment
▪ Can include:
• Shoving
• Hitting
• Slapping
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• Shaking
• Throwing
• Punching
• Biting
• Burning
• Kicking
▪ Warning signs of physical abuse:
• Frequent injuries or unexplained bruises, welts or cuts
• Is always watchful and ‘on alert’ as if waiting for
something bad to happen
• Injuries appear to have a pattern such as marks from a
hand or belt
• Shies away from touch, flinches at sudden movements,
or seems afraid to go home
• Wears inappropriate clothing to cover up injuries such
as long-sleeved shirts on hot days
o Definitions of Sexual abuse:
▪ Sexually abusive behaviour refers to any sexual activity:
• Between an adult and a child below the age of consent
(16 years in NSW)
• Non-consensual between minor (e.g. a 14 year old and
12 year old)
▪ Sexual activity involves:
• Fondling genitals, masturbation, oral sex
• Vaginal or anal penetration by a penis, finger or any
other object
• Fondling of breasts
• Voyeurism, exhibitionism and
• Exposing or involving the child in pornography
▪ Warning signs of sexual abuse in children:
• Trouble walking or sitting
• Displays knowledge or interest in sexual acts
inappropriate to his/her age or even seductive behaviour
• Makes strong efforts to avoid a specific person, without
an obvious reason
• Does not want to change clothes in front of others or
participate in physical activities
• Regresses in developmental achievements, child is
excessively clingy or begins soiling and wetting
• Sexual themes in the child’s artwork, stories or play
• Fears going home or expresses a desire to live
elsewhere
o Emotional maltreatment:
▪ Can consist of both acts of –
• Commission e.g. verbal abuse
• Omission e.g. withholding of affection/attention
▪ Emotionally abusive behaviours include:
• Rejecting
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• Isolating
• Terrorising
• Ignoring
• Corrupting
▪ Warning signs of emotional abuse in children:
• Constant feelings of worthlessness about life and
themselves
• Unable to value others
• Lack of trust in people
• Lack of people skills necessary for daily functioning
• Extreme attention-seeking behaviour
• Obsessively eager to please/obey adults
• Takes extreme risks, is markedly disruptive, bullying or
aggressive
• Highly self critical, depressed or anxious
• Suicide threats or attempts
• Persistent running away from home
o Prevalence
▪ Physical abuse –
• 5-10% in most studies, with one study estimating up to
18% of Australian children have been subject to PA
• Variations in range is likely due to definition of PA
▪ Neglect –
• 12% based on the best available evidence – there is not
enough research in this area (only 3 recent studies)
• American studies typically find higher rates of neglect
(64% of substantiated maltreatment) than abuse (7-16%
of substantiated maltreatment)
▪ Emotional maltreatment –
• Best available evidence suggests 11% (can range from
6% to 17% depending on how emotional maltreatment
is defined and worded)
▪ Sexual abuse –
• Fifteen studies available on prevalence and a huge
range from 1% for abuse by parent to 45% of females
when broad definitions are used
• In males, estimates suggest 1.4 to 8% for penetrative
abuse and 5.7 to 16% for non-penetrative abuse
• In females, estiates suggest 4-12% for penetrative abuse
and 13.9 to 36% for non-penetrative abuse
• Currently, no Australian-wide study on prevalence for
child maltreatment
• Major trends in subtypes –
o Most common form of maltreatment = neglect
or emotional abuse
o Physical abuse → sexual abuse
o However, depends on ‘definitions’ of
maltreatment subtypes
• Overall prevalence –
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