The emotionally abused and neglected child: identification, assessment and intervention: a practice handbook / Dorota Iwaniec

Emotional abuse and neglect are at the core of all types of child maltreatment, and have the most harmful effects on the physical and psychological development and well-being of children. Yet they are considered to be the most difficult to deal with by those who have the responsibility to protect and intervene in effective ways. In this book the author explores the concept of a damaged child, and asks what are the different types of injury, ranging from active to passive, physical to emotional, that stop children from reaching their full potential psychologically and physically? The author questions whether emotional damage to a child can be repaired and answers questions such as: Is some injury irreversible? What therapeutic techniques are available to deal with emotional abuse? Can the abusers as well as the abused be helped to change? Case studies are provided to illustrate the features of emotional abuse, and chapters are devoted to the assessment and prediction of emotional abuse, effects of emotional abuse as the child grows up, intervention and treatment and working with the family as a whole. The Emotionally Abused and Neglected Child......Page 3 Contents......Page 9 About the Author......Page 15 Preface......Page 17 Acknowledgements......Page 19 The Problem......Page 21 Introduction......Page 23 History of the Concept......Page 25 Early Studies......Page 28 The Concept of Emotional Abuse......Page 29 Case Studies......Page 31 Consequences of Emotional Abuse......Page 36 Terminology......Page 38 The Organisation of the Book......Page 39 Summary......Page 42 Introduction......Page 43 Definition......Page 45 Defining Characteristics......Page 46 Definition and Typology of Emotionally Abusive Behaviour......Page 47 Emotionally Abusive Parenting......Page 50 Problem Profile of Emotionally Abused and Neglected Children......Page 56 Rejected Children......Page 57 Consequences of Emotionally Harmful Parenting – Messages from Research and Practice......Page 60 Identification and Incidence......Page 66 Summary......Page 69 Family Violence......Page 70 Case Study......Page 74 Parental Divorce/Separation......Page 79 Post-Divorce Parental Conflict and the Effect on Children......Page 83 Contact Dispute Case......Page 85 Parental Substance Misuse......Page 86 Summary......Page 90 Introduction......Page 92 School Bullying: Peer Abuse......Page 93 A Case of Bullying......Page 95 Emotional Abuse/Neglect by Teachers......Page 99 The Extent and Nature of Child Emotional Abuse/Neglect by Teachers......Page 100 Verbal Attacks and Humiliating Behaviours......Page 103 Rejecting and Isolating......Page 105 Emotional Abuse and Neglect in Out-of-Home Care......Page 106 Children and Young People in Custody......Page 109 Summary......Page 113 Introduction......Page 114 What is Attachment?......Page 115 The Origins of Attachment Theory......Page 116 Parental Sensitivity and Formation of Attachment......Page 117 Individual Differences: The Strange Situation......Page 118 Child-to-Parent Attachment and Emotional Abuse......Page 120 Parent-to-Infant Attachment (Bonding)......Page 121 Significance of the Parent–Child Attachment......Page 122 Adult Attachment Styles......Page 124 Mothers who Promote Secure Attachment Behaviour in their Children......Page 125 Dismissing and Rejecting Mothers......Page 126 Consequences of Insecure Attachment......Page 129 Summary......Page 132 Introduction......Page 133 Infancy......Page 135 Attachment Behaviour......Page 137 Early Childhood......Page 138 Middle Childhood......Page 140 Adolescence......Page 142 Summary......Page 145 Introduction......Page 147 What is Failure to Thrive?......Page 148 Emotional Stunting in Growth......Page 150 Case Study......Page 152 Causal Mechanisms......Page 154 Growth-Hormone Deficiencies......Page 156 Manifestation of Disturbed Behaviour......Page 157 Twenty-Year Follow-Up Study......Page 165 Summary......Page 168 Introduction......Page 169 Incidence and Prevalence Rates......Page 170 Risk-Factors......Page 172 Case Study......Page 176 Practice Issues......Page 178 Summary......Page 183 Introduction......Page 184 Risk and Resilience Factors for Emotional Maltreatment......Page 186 Case Studies......Page 188 Case Discussion......Page 192 Precipitating Factors......Page 193 Factors Intrinsic to the Child......Page 194 Environmental Factors......Page 195 Comments on Risk and Resilience......Page 197 Early Adversities and Recovery......Page 200 Summary......Page 202 Assessment of Emotional Abuse and Neglect......Page 205 Introduction......Page 207 Department of Health Framework of Assessment......Page 209 Parenting Duties and Problems......Page 210 Assessment of Basic Care......Page 213 Parental Characteristics......Page 215 Ensuring Safety......Page 218 Emotional Warmth......Page 219 Parent–Child Interaction......Page 220 Stimulation......Page 226 Guidance and Boundaries......Page 227 Stability......Page 228 Children’s Developmental Needs......Page 229 Interview with the Child......Page 237 Observation of Children......Page 239 Summary......Page 248 Treatment and Intervention of Emotional Abuse and Neglect......Page 249 Introduction......Page 251 Levels of Prevention and Intervention......Page 253 Universal Prevention/Intervention......Page 254 Family Support......Page 257 Targeted Prevention/Intervention Multidisciplinary Approach......Page 261 Case Conferences......Page 262 Multidisciplinary Inter-Agency Co-operation and Service Delivery......Page 264 Case Study......Page 265 Civil Court Intervention......Page 268 Summary......Page 269 Introduction......Page 271 Behavioural Work......Page 272 Behavioural Methods and Techniques......Page 273 Use of Cognitive Methods of Intervention......Page 280 Essential Components of Cognitive Treatment......Page 283 Relaxation Training......Page 291 Problem-Solving......Page 293 Case Study......Page 296 Motivational Interviewing......Page 302 Summary......Page 304 Introduction......Page 306 Building Secure Attachment......Page 308 Improving Children’s Attachment Behaviour to Parents with Mental-Health Problems......Page 310 Child–Parent Psychotherapy......Page 312 Watch, Wait, and Wonder......Page 313 Video-Recording and Feedback......Page 314 Parent–Child Interaction Therapy......Page 315 Working with Foster-Parents – Counselling Regarding Attachment......Page 317 Summary......Page 319 Introduction......Page 320 Play Therapy......Page 321 Promoting Resilience......Page 325 Social-Skills Training......Page 331 Assertiveness Training......Page 332 The Jug of Loving Water......Page 334 Case Study......Page 337 Summary......Page 339 Introduction......Page 341 Counselling......Page 342 Family Therapy......Page 343 Psychoeducation......Page 354 Group Work with Emotionally Abusive and Neglectful Parents......Page 359 Dealing with Marital Problems......Page 362 Summary......Page 365 The Burden of Proof: Legal and Social Work Difficulties in Dealing with Emotional-Abuse and Neglect Cases......Page 367 Introduction......Page 369 Legal and Social Work Decisions in Cases of Emotional Abuse......Page 372 Applications to the Court......Page 373 Children’s Rights and the Parents’ Rights as Legal Requirements......Page 375 Gathering Information......Page 377 Decision-Making......Page 378 Independent Assessment of Expert Witness......Page 379 Issues for Social Workers and Lawyers Working Together......Page 380 Training......Page 382 Summary......Page 384 References......Page 386 Index......Page 415

Emotional abuse and neglect are at the core of all types of child maltreatment, and have the most harmful effects on the physical and psychological development and well-being of children. Yet they are considered to be the most difficult to deal with by those who have the responsibility to protect and intervene in effective ways. In this book the author explores the concept of a damaged child, and asks what are the different types of injury, ranging from active to passive, physical to emotional, that stop children from reaching their full potential psychologically and physically? The author questions whether emotional damage to a child can be repaired and answers questions such as:

• Is some injury irreversible?
• What therapeutic techniques are available to deal with emotional abuse?
• Can the abusers as well as the abused be helped to change?

Case studies are provided to illustrate the features of emotional abuse, and chapters are devoted to the assessment and prediction of emotional abuse, effects of emotional abuse as the child grows up, intervention and treatment and working with the family as a whole.

This title explores the concept of a damaged child, asking about the different types of injury, ranging from active to passive, physical to emotional, that stop children from reaching their full potential, psychologically and physically