Neglect Can Be as Damaging to Child Development as Abuse

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by HealthDay.

Simple neglect can be as damaging to a child’s social development as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.

Children whose basic needs aren’t met can have lifelong damage done to their ability to form friendships and romantic relationships, researchers reported in a study published recently in the journal Child Abuse and Neglect.

Neglect leads children to withdraw from others, avoid popularity, and become less likely to join groups, results show.

“Maltreated children often feel shame and may have lower self-esteem and sense of belonging as a consequence of maltreatment, which precipitates withdrawal from their peers,” lead researcher Christina Kamis, an assistant professor of sociology with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said in a news release from the school.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 9,200 participants in a long-term federal study tracking the health of teenagers into adulthood. Students were initially surveyed in grades 7-12, then followed as they became adults.

Nearly 41% of the participants reported some form of maltreatment before age 12 or reaching the sixth grade, the study says.

That included more than 10% who reported physical neglect, which can include a lack of housing, food, clothing, education, access to medical care, or emotional support.

Sociality was measured by the number of friends they had, while popularity was reflected by the number of peers who listed them as a friend. Networks of friend groups were used to show how tight-knit their social connections were.

On average, children listed about four friends, and each kid was listed as a friend by about four peers, results show.

But those who experienced abuse or neglect named fewer friends or had fewer peers name them as friends.

Any form of maltreatment negatively affected children’s social development. For example, sexual abuse made kids more likely to withdraw, while emotional and physical abuse harmed children’s popularity and social connectedness.

Source: HealthDay
https://www.healthday.com/health-news/child-health/neglect-can-be-as-damaging-to-child-development-as-abuse-in-some-ways