ABSTRACT
Psychological, or emotional, maltreatment includes both psychological neglect and psychological abuse. In cases of psychological neglect, parents fail to meet the emotional needs of their children. In psychological abuse, parents engage in behaviors that actively harm a child’s mental health. This chapter begins by reviewing various definitions of psychological maltreatment that are provided by state laws, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, and Glaser. The chapter also addresses the overlap of psychological maltreatment with other forms of maltreatment. Next, statistics about the incidence psychological maltreatment in the United States are presented. The chapter concludes with an examination of the consequences of psychological maltreatment and the psychological theory that explains some of these effects. Effects are broken down into five broad areas: Intrapersonal Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior; Emotional Problems; Social and Antisocial Functioning; Learning Problems; and Physical Health.
