What has been learned about childhood abuse’s impact on the brain will hopefully lead to new ideas for treatment.[1] The most immediate conclusion, however, is the crucial need for prevention. If childhood maltreatment exerts enduring negative effects on the developing brain, fundamentally altering one’s mental capacity and personality, it may be possible to compensate for these abnormalities – to succeed in spite of them.

We easily understand how beating a child may damage the developing brain, but what about the all-too-common psychological abuse of children? Because the abuse was not physical, these children may be told, as adults, that they should just “get over it.”[1]

The NIMH has studied the difference between how depressed mothers relate to their children versus healthy mothers. Studies have shown that depressed mothers are more likely to be critical of their children and less likely to talk to them, except under mildly stressful situations, when the depressed mothers tend to overreact. [1] Depressed mothers are more likely to interact with their children because of something within themselves, rather than in response to something the child does or says, and as a result the child has little sense of what to expect.

For those people who preach there is no such thing as repressed memories, Stanford University has shown how the human brain actually blocks an unwanted memory, there is such a mechanism, and it has a biological basis.[1] This discovery reinforces Sigmund Freud’s thesis about voluntary memory suppression.

To give one of the most accurate descriptions on reporting the incidents of child abuse, I refer you to the Fourth Annual Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4)_[1] conducted by Westat, Inc. for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which provides the following information.

A drop in child abuse was first erroneously reported in 2010 in the New York Times which stated that the incidents of child abuse and neglect had dropped 38% from 1993 to 2006. That same year, at NBC NEWS.com, they also incorrectly reported that “Child Abuse Drops Sharply in US”… “by 26 percent from 1993 to 2006.[1]”

My name is Sandra Trott. I am currently working on my dissertation to obtain a doctorate in counseling psychology. I am in need of participants for my study. The purpose of my study is to explore how abuse/neglect in childhood and or adulthood affects interpersonal relationships and interactions with coworkers. I was drawn to this particular topic due to the abuse my sisters and I endured during childhood and the domestic violence my mother and two of my sisters have experienced in their marriages. This new line of research might provide mental health professionals and crisis workers additional insights as to areas that survivors may need support.

You have a voice and it deserves to be heard!

Barriers to reporting child abuse or neglect (CA/N) most often cited by respondents in a Kentucky study (2006) were an uncertainty that reporting would help the child, fear that reporting will make it worse for the child, a loss of relationship with the family, inconsistent response (by the system) to previous reports, unfamiliarity with social workers, and risk of medical malpractice.¹

There is a significant lack of education and training in the medical field when it comes to education and training about child abuse or neglect (CA/N). There is no specific percentage requirement for continuing education units (CEUs) in the area of CA/N.¹

Too often medical professionals and service agencies do not report child abuse and neglect to authorities for a multitude of reasons. The State of Oregon has been very progressive, though, in identifying areas of concern and steps that need to be taken to address this enormous problem.

The National Task Force on Juvenile Sexual Offending stressed that the primary objective of interventions with juveniles who have sexually offended is community safety. The primary goals of treatment interventions with these juveniles are helping them to gain control over their sexually abusive behaviors and to increase their pro-social interactions with peers and adults. The main treatment objectives are preventing further victimization, halting the development of additional psychosexual problems, and helping the juvenile develop age-appropriate relationships with peers.¹

Studies of families of children who have engaged in sexually aggressive behavior reveal they tended to be characterized as dysfunctional, evidencing high rates of parental separation, domestic violence, substance abuse, highly sexualized environments (e.g., exposing children to sexual activity, pornography, and both covert and overt sexual abuse), unsatisfactory role models, poor parent-child relationships, parental histories of childhood abuse and so on.¹ The evidence points to family interactions as a primary source of the problem.

Incidence reports on juvenile sex offenders may underestimate the extent of the problem for female offenders because of a societal reluctance to acknowledge that girls are capable of committing sex offenses.1

The childhood experiences of physical and/or sexual abuse, being neglected, and witnessing family violence have been associated with juvenile sex offending. A study of 1,600 juvenile sex offenders from 30 States found that only 1/3 of the juveniles perceived sex as a way to demonstrate love or caring for another person; others perceived sex as a way to feel power and control, to dissipate anger, or to hurt, degrade, or punish others.¹

In all of the discussions you hear about the dire financial troubles of the United States, you never hear President Obama or any member of Congress talk about the enormous costs associated with child abuse or adult survivors of child abuse. In fact, no president or member of Congress, in the history of our country, has ever put child abuse and neglect on the national agenda.

To give one of the most accurate descriptions on reporting the incidents of child abuse, I refer you to the Fourth Annual Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4)1 conducted by Westat, Inc. for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which provides the following information.

This post concludes the recommendations of the Task Force on Children Affected by Domestic Violence. Children who are victimized by trauma are often unable to develop or experience mastery and a sense of self, or to separate themselves psychologically from the violent physical experiences that produced their trauma.

This post is a continuation of  Traumatized Children In Schools – Part 1 where I am presenting recommendations from the Task Force on Children Affected by Domestic Violence coordinated by the Massachusetts Advocacy Center. These findings and subsequent recommendations are an excellent model for the school systems of America.

It is no surprise that children struggling with the effects of traumatic exposure to family violence, either as witnesses or through direct abuse, often have difficulty focusing, following rules, trusting adults and peers, and completing academic tasks.1 For some children, this difficulty can result in a failure to succeed, which can, in turn, lead to dropping out of school or engaging in disruptive behavior.