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 4 Contents......Page 10 About the Author......Page 16 Preface......Page 18 Acknowledgements......Page 20 The Problem......Page 22 Introduction......Page 24 History of the Concept......Page 26 Early Studies......Page 29 The Concept of Emotional Abuse......Page 30 Case Studies......Page 32 Consequences of Emotional Abuse......Page 37 Terminology......Page 39 The Organisation of the Book......Page 40 Summary......Page 43 Introduction......Page 44 Definition......Page 46 Defining Characteristics......Page 47 Definition and Typology of Emotionally Abusive Behaviour......Page 48 Emotionally Abusive Parenting......Page 51 Problem Profile of Emotionally Abused and Neglected Children......Page 57 Rejected Children......Page 58 Consequences of Emotionally Harmful Parenting – Messages from Research and Practice......Page 61 Identification and Incidence......Page 67 Summary......Page 70 Family Violence......Page 71 Case Study......Page 75 Parental Divorce/Separation......Page 80 Post-Divorce Parental Conflict and the Effect on Children......Page 84 Contact Dispute Case......Page 86 Parental Substance Misuse......Page 87 Summary......Page 91 Introduction......Page 93 School Bullying: Peer Abuse......Page 94 A Case of Bullying......Page 96 Emotional Abuse/Neglect by Teachers......Page 100 The Extent and Nature of Child Emotional Abuse/Neglect by Teachers......Page 101 Verbal Attacks and Humiliating Behaviours......Page 104 Rejecting and Isolating......Page 106 Emotional Abuse and Neglect in Out-of-Home Care......Page 107 Children and Young People in Custody......Page 110 Summary......Page 114 Introduction......Page 115 What is Attachment?......Page 116 The Origins of Attachment Theory......Page 117 Parental Sensitivity and Formation of Attachment......Page 118 Individual Differences: The Strange Situation......Page 119 Child-to-Parent Attachment and Emotional Abuse......Page 121 Parent-to-Infant Attachment (Bonding)......Page 122 Significance of the Parent–Child Attachment......Page 123 Adult Attachment Styles......Page 125 Mothers who Promote Secure Attachment Behaviour in their Children......Page 126 Dismissing and Rejecting Mothers......Page 127 Consequences of Insecure Attachment......Page 130 Summary......Page 133 Introduction......Page 134 Infancy......Page 136 Attachment Behaviour......Page 138 Early Childhood......Page 139 Middle Childhood......Page 141 Adolescence......Page 143 Summary......Page 146 Introduction......Page 148 What is Failure to Thrive?......Page 149 Emotional Stunting in Growth......Page 151 Case Study......Page 153 Causal Mechanisms......Page 155 Growth-Hormone Deficiencies......Page 157 Manifestation of Disturbed Behaviour......Page 158 Twenty-Year Follow-Up Study......Page 166 Summary......Page 169 Introduction......Page 170 Incidence and Prevalence Rates......Page 171 Risk-Factors......Page 173 Case Study......Page 177 Practice Issues......Page 179 Summary......Page 184 Introduction......Page 185 Risk and Resilience Factors for Emotional Maltreatment......Page 187 Case Studies......Page 189 Case Discussion......Page 193 Precipitating Factors......Page 194 Factors Intrinsic to the Child......Page 195 Environmental Factors......Page 196 Comments on Risk and Resilience......Page 198 Early Adversities and Recovery......Page 201 Summary......Page 203 Assessment of Emotional Abuse and Neglect......Page 206 Introduction......Page 208 Department of Health Framework of Assessment......Page 210 Parenting Duties and Problems......Page 211 Assessment of Basic Care......Page 214 Parental Characteristics......Page 216 Ensuring Safety......Page 219 Emotional Warmth......Page 220 Parent–Child Interaction......Page 221 Stimulation......Page 227 Guidance and Boundaries......Page 228 Stability......Page 229 Children’s Developmental Needs......Page 230 Interview with the Child......Page 238 Observation of Children......Page 240 Summary......Page 249 Treatment and Intervention of Emotional Abuse and Neglect......Page 250 Introduction......Page 252 Levels of Prevention and Intervention......Page 254 Universal Prevention/Intervention......Page 255 Family Support......Page 258 Targeted Prevention/Intervention Multidisciplinary Approach......Page 262 Case Conferences......Page 263 Multidisciplinary Inter-Agency Co-operation and Service Delivery......Page 265 Case Study......Page 266 Civil Court Intervention......Page 269 Summary......Page 270 Introduction......Page 272 Behavioural Work......Page 273 Behavioural Methods and Techniques......Page 274 Use of Cognitive Methods of Intervention......Page 281 Essential Components of Cognitive Treatment......Page 284 Relaxation Training......Page 292 Problem-Solving......Page 294 Case Study......Page 297 Motivational Interviewing......Page 303 Summary......Page 305 Introduction......Page 307 Building Secure Attachment......Page 309 Improving Children’s Attachment Behaviour to Parents with Mental-Health Problems......Page 311 Child–Parent Psychotherapy......Page 313 Watch, Wait, and Wonder......Page 314 Video-Recording and Feedback......Page 315 Parent–Child Interaction Therapy......Page 316 Working with Foster-Parents – Counselling Regarding Attachment......Page 318 Summary......Page 320 Introduction......Page 321 Play Therapy......Page 322 Promoting Resilience......Page 326 Social-Skills Training......Page 332 Assertiveness Training......Page 333 The Jug of Loving Water......Page 335 Case Study......Page 338 Summary......Page 340 Introduction......Page 342 Counselling......Page 343 Family Therapy......Page 344 Psychoeducation......Page 355 Group Work with Emotionally Abusive and Neglectful Parents......Page 360 Dealing with Marital Problems......Page 363 Summary......Page 366 The Burden of Proof: Legal and Social Work Difficulties in Dealing with Emotional-Abuse and Neglect Cases......Page 368 Introduction......Page 370 Legal and Social Work Decisions in Cases of Emotional Abuse......Page 373 Applications to the Court......Page 374 Children’s Rights and the Parents’ Rights as Legal Requirements......Page 376 Gathering Information......Page 378 Decision-Making......Page 379 Independent Assessment of Expert Witness......Page 380 Issues for Social Workers and Lawyers Working Together......Page 381 Training......Page 383 Summary......Page 385 References......Page 387 Index......Page 416

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