Psychological maltreatment: Features and consequences

Journal title MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA
Author/s Maria Cristina Verrocchio
Publishing Year 2014 Issue 2014/1
Language Italian Pages 25 P. 11-35 File size 137 KB
DOI 10.3280/MAL2014-001002
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

Psychological maltreatment involves a repeated pattern of caregiver behavior or a serious incident that transmits to the child that he is worthless, flawed, unloved, unwanted, endangered, or only of value in meeting another’s needs. It is defined as both acts of commission (emotional abuse) and omission (emotional neglect). The aims of this review are to compare conceptual definitions of psychological maltreatment and to examine negative outcomes in adulthood. Maladaptive schemas, emotional dysregulation, and insecure attachment styles were analyzed as potential mediators of the relationship between psychological maltreatment and later psychological difficulties.

Keywords: Psychological maltreatment, emotional neglect, dysfunctional parenting, psychological outcomes in adulthood

  1. American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
  2. Baker, A. J. L. (2009). Adult recall of childhood psychological maltreatment: Definitional strategies and challenges. Children and Youth Services Review, 31, 703-714, DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.03.001
  3. Baker, A. J. L., & Festinger, T. (2011). Emotional abuse and emotional neglect subscales of the CTQ: Associations with each, other measures of psychological maltreatment, and demographic variables. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 2297-2302, DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.07.018
  4. Binggeli, N., Hart, S., & Brassard, M. R. (2001). Psychological maltreatment of children. The APSAC Study Guides, 4. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  5. Brassard, M. R., & Donovan, K. L. (2006). Defining psychological maltreatment. In M. M. Feerick, J. F. Knutson, P. K. Trickett & S. M. Flanzer (Eds.), Child abuse and neglect. Definitions, classifications, and a framework for research (pp. 151-197). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
  6. Briere, J., & Scott, C. (2006). Principles of trauma therapy: A guide to symptoms, evaluation, and treatment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  7. Browne, C., & Winkelman, C. (2007). The effect of childhood trauma on later psychological adjustment. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22, 6, 684-697, DOI: 10.1177/0886260507300207
  8. Camisasca, E. (2009). Traiettorie di internalizzazione ed esternalizzazione in bambini maltrattati: il ruolo dell’attaccamento. Maltrattamento e abuso all’infanzia, 11, 3, 65-82, DOI: 10.3280/MAL2009-003007
  9. Camisasca, E., Miragoli, S., & Di Blasio, P. (2013 in press). L’attaccamento modera le reazioni dei bambini esposti al conflitto genitoriale? Verifica di un modello integrato. Psicologia Clinica dello Sviluppo.
  10. Camisasca, E., Miragoli, S., & Di Blasio, P. (2014). Strategie di coping e coping efficacy nei bambini esposti al conflitto genitoriale: il ruolo dell’attaccamento. Attaccamento e sistemi complessi, 1,1, 91-110.
  11. Cicchetti, D. (2013). Annual research review: Resilient functioning in maltreated children. Past, present, and future perspectives. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54, 4, 402-422, DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02608.x
  12. Cicchetti, D., & Toth, S. L. (2005). Child maltreatment. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 409-438,
  13. Coates, A. A., & Messnam-Moore, T. L. (2013, in press). A structural model of mechanisms predicting depressive symptoms in women following childhood psychological maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.10.005
  14. Coelho, R., Viola, T. W., Walss-Bass, C., Brietzke, E., & Grassi-Oliveira, R. (2013 in press). Childhood maltreatment and inflammatory markers: A systematic review. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 1-13, DOI: 10.1111/acps.12217
  15. Cohen, J. A., Deblinger, E., & Mannarino, A. P. (2005). Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy for sexually abused children. In E. Hibbs & P. Jensen (Eds.), Psychosocial treatments for child and adolescent disorders: Empirically based strategies for clinical practice (2nd ed., pp. 743-765). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  16. Courtney, E. A., Johnson, J. G, & Alloy, B. L. (2008). Associations of childhood maltreatment with hopelessness and depression among adolescent primary care patients. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 1, 1, 4-17, DOI: 10.1521/ijct.2008.1.1.4
  17. Crawford, E., & Wright, M. (2007). The impact of childhood psychological maltreatment on interpersonal schemas and subsequent experiences of relationship aggression. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 7, 93-116. DOI: 10.1300/j135v07n02_06
  18. de la Vega, A., de la Osa, N., Ezpeleta, L., Granero, R., & Domènech, J. M. (2011). Differential effects of psychological maltreatment on children of mothers exposed to intimate partner violence. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 7, 524-531, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.03.006
  19. de la Vega, A., de la Osa, N., Granero, R., & Ezpeleta, L. (2013). Severity of psychological maltreatment and accumulative risk for psychopathology in children of mothers exposed to intimate partner violence. Journal of Family Violence, 28, 427-434, DOI: 10.1007/s10896-013-9521-1
  20. Di Blasio, P. (2000). Psicologia del bambino maltrattato. Bologna: il Mulino.
  21. Di Blasio, P. (2005). Tra rischio e protezione. La valutazione delle competenze parentali. Milano: Unicopli.
  22. Di Blasio, P., Camisasca, E., & Procaccia, R. (2007). Fattori di mediazione dell’esperienza traumatica nei bambini maltrattati. Maltrattamento e abuso all’infanzia, 9, 2, 33-60.
  23. Dong, M., Anda, R. F., Felitti, V. J., Dube, S. R., Williamson, D. F., Thompson, T. J., Loo, C. M., & Giles, W. H. (2004). The interrelatedness of multiple forms of childhood abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Child Abuse & Neglect, 28, 7, 771-784, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.01.008
  24. Iwaniec, D. (1997). An overview of emotional maltreatment and failure-to-thrive. Child Abuse Review, 6, 370-388.
  25. Donovan, K. L., & Brassard, M. R. (2011). Trajectories of maternal verbal aggression across the middle school years: Associations with negative view of self and social problems. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 814-830, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.06.001
  26. Doyle, C. (2001). Surviving and coping with emotional abuse in childhood. Clinical Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 6, 387-402, DOI: 10.1177/1359104501006003008
  27. Erikson, M. F., Egeland, B., & Pianta, R. C. (1989). The effects of maltreatment on the development of young children. In D. Cicchetti & V. Carlson (Eds.), Child maltreatment: Theory and research on the causes and consequences of child abuse and neglect. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  28. Evans, S. E., Steel, A. L., & DiLillo, D. (2013). Child maltreatment severity and adult trauma symptoms: Does perceived social support play a buffering role? Child Abuse & Neglect, 37, 934-943, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.03.005
  29. Garbarino, J. (2011). Not all bad treatment is psychological maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 797-801, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.05.014
  30. Gibb, E. B., & Abela, J. R. Z. (2008). Emotional abuse, verbal victimization, and the development of children’s negative inferential styles and depressive symptoms. Cognitive Therapy & Research, 32, 2, 161-176, DOI: 10.1007/s10608-006-9106-x
  31. Glaser, D. (2002). Emotional abuse and neglect (pshycological maltreatment): A conceptual framework. Child Abuse & Neglect, 26, 697-714, DOI: 10.1016/S0145-2134(02)00342-3
  32. Hager, A. D., & Runtz, M. G. (2012). Physical and psychological maltreatment in childhood and later health problems in women: An exploratory investigation of the roles of perceived stress and coping strategies. Child Abuse & Neglect, 36, 393-403, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2012.02.002
  33. Hamarman, S., & Bernet, W. (2000). Evaluation and reporting of emotional abuse in children. Journal of American Academy of Child and and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 928-930.
  34. Hankin, B. L. (2005). Childhood maltreatment and psychopathology: Prospective tests of attachment, cognitive vulnerability, and stress as mediating processes. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 29, 6, 645-671, DOI: 10.1007/s10608-005-9631-z
  35. Hart, S. N., & Glaser, D. (2011). Psychological maltreatment. Maltreatment of the mind: A catalyst for advancing child protection toward proactive primary prevention and promotion of personal well-being. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 758-766, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.06.002
  36. Haskett, M. E., Nears, K., Sabourin Ward, C., & McPherson, A. V. (2006). Diversity in adjustment of maltreated children: Factors associated with resilient functioning. Clinical Psychology Review, 26, 6, 796-812, DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2006.03.005
  37. Heyman, R. E., & Slep, A. M. S. (2006). Journal of family creating and field-testing diagnostic criteria for partner and child maltreatment. Psychology. Special Issue: Relational Disorders and Relational Processes in Mental Health, 20, 3, 397-408, DOI: 10.1037/0893-3200.20.3.397
  38. Heyman, R. E., & Slep, A. M. S. (2009). Reliability of family maltreatment diagnostic criteria: 41 site dissemination field trial. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 6, 905-910, DOI: 10.1037/a0017011
  39. Higgins, D. J., & McCabe, M. P. (2001). Multiple forms of child abuse and neglect: Adult retrospective reports. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 6, 547-578.
  40. Hund, A. R., & Espelage, K. D. L. (2006). Childhood emotional abuse and disordered eating among undergraduate females: Mediating influence of alexithymia and distress. Child Abuse & Neglect, 30, 393-407, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2005.11.003
  41. Iwaniec, D., Larkin, E., & McSherry, D. (2007). Emotionally harmful parenting. Child Care in Practice, 13, 3, 203-220, DOI: 10.1080/13575270701353531
  42. Kim, M. J., Tajima, E. A., Herrenkohl, T. I., & Huang, B. (2009). Early child maltreatment, runaway youths, and risk of delinquency and victimization in adolescence: A mediational model. Social Work Research, 33, 1, 19-28, DOI: 10.1093/swr/33.1.19
  43. Krause, E. D., Mendelson, T., & Lync, T. R. (2003). Childhood emotional invalidtion and adult psychologic distress: The mediating role of emotional inhibition. British Psychological Society, 27, 2, 199-213.
  44. Liotti, G. (2008). Trauma e dissociazione nella prospettiva dell'intersoggettività: il contributo della teoria dell'attaccamento. In V. Caretti & G. Craparo (Eds.), Trauma e psicopatologia. Roma: Astrolabio.
  45. Lyons-Ruth, K., Melnicks, S., Bronfam, E., Sherry, S., & Llanas, L. (2004). Hostile-helpless relational models and disorganized attachment patterns between parents and their young children: Review of research and implications for clinical work. In L. Atkinson & S. Goldberg (Eds.), Attachment issues in psychopathology and intervention (pp. 65-94). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
  46. Marshall, N. (2012). A clinician's guide to recognizing and reporting parental psychological maltreatment of children. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 43, 2, 73-79 DOI: 10.1037/a0026677
  47. Min, M. O., Minnes, S., Kim, H., & Singer, L. T. (2013). Pathways linking childhood maltreatment and adult physical health. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37, 361-373, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2012.09.008
  48. Miragoli, S., & Verrocchio, M. C. (2008). La valutazione del rischio in situazioni di disagio familiare: il protocollo sui fattori di rischio e sui fattori di protezione. Maltrattamento e abuso all’infanzia, 10, 3, 25-43.
  49. Muller, R. T., Thornback, K., & Bedi, R. (2012). Attachment as a mediator between childhood maltreatment and adult symptomatology. Journal of Family Violence, 27, 243-255, DOI: 10.1007/s10896-012-9417-5
  50. Navarre, E. (1987). Psychological maltreatment: The core component of child abuse. In M. R. Brassard, R.Germain & S. N. Hart (Eds.), Psychological maltreatment of children and youth (pp. 45-48). New York: Pergamon Press.
  51. O'Hagan, K. P. (1995). Emotional and psychological abuse: Problems of definition. Child Abuse & Neglect, 19, 4, 449-461.
  52. Reddy, M. K., Pickett, S. M., & Orcutt, H. K. (2006). Experiential avoidance as a mediator in the relationship between childhood psychological abuse and current mental health symptoms in college students. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 6, 67-84, DOI: 10.1300/J135v06n01_04
  53. Riggs, S. A. (2010). Childhood emotional abuse and the attachment system across the life cycle: What theory and research tell us. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19, 1-47, DOI: 10.1080/10926770903475968
  54. Rosenkranz, K., Susan, E., Henderson, J. L., Muller, R. T., & Goodman, I. R. (2012). Motivation and maltreatment history among youth entering substance abuse treatment. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 26, 1, 171-177, DOI: 10.1037/a0023800
  55. Runyon, M. K., Deblinger, E., Ryan, E., & Thakkar-Kolar, R. (2004). An overview of child physical abuse: Developing an integrated parent-child cognitive-behavioral treatment approach. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse: A Review Journal, 5, 65-85, DOI: 10.1177/1524838003259323
  56. Sachs-Ericsson, N., Verona, E., Joiner, T., & Preacher, K. J. (2006). Parental verbal abuse and the mediating role of self-criticism in adult internalizing disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 93, 71-78, DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2006.02.014
  57. Schimmenti, A., & Bifulco, A. (2013 in press). Linking lack of care in childhood to anxiety disorders in emerging adulthood: The role of attachment styles. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, DOI: 10.1111/camh.12051
  58. Schneider, M. W., Ross, A., Graham, J. C., & Zielinski, A. (2005). Do allegations of emotional maltreatment predict developmental outcomes beyond that of other forms of maltreatment? Child Abuse & Neglect, 29, 5, 513-532, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.08.010
  59. Shaffer, A., Yates, T., & Egeland, B. (2009). The relation of emotional maltreatment to early adolescent competence: Developmental processes in a prospective study. Child Abuse & Neglect, 33, 36-44, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2008.12.005
  60. Slep, A. M. S., Heyman, R. E., & Snarr, J. D. (2011) Child emotional aggression and abuse: Definitions and prevalence. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 783-796, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.07.002
  61. Tanaka, M., Wekerle, C., Schmuck, M. L., & Paglia-Boak, A. (2011). The linkages among childhood maltreatment, adolescent mental health, and self-compassion in child welfare adolescents. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 10, 887-898, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.07.003
  62. Tangney, J. P., & Dearing, R. L. (2002). Shame and guilt. New York: Guilford Publications.
  63. van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2008). The distribution of adult attachment representations in clinical groups: A meta-analytic search for patterns of attachment in 105 AAI studies. In H. Steele & M. Steele (Eds.), Clinical applications of the Adult Attachment Interview (pp. 69-96). New York: Guilford Press.
  64. Verrocchio, M. C., & Miragoli, S. (2008) Traiettorie di rischio: studi e ricerche su fattori di rischio e di protezione. Maltrattamento e abuso all'infanzia, 27, 45-71.
  65. Verrocchio, M. C., Cortini, M., & Marchetti, D. (2012). Assessing child sexual abuse allegations: An exploratory study on psychological reports. International Journal of Multiple Research Approach, 6, 121, 175-186, DOI: 10.5172/mra.2012.6.2.175
  66. Verrocchio, M. C., Ambrosini, A., & Fulcheri, M. (2013). Promotion of mental health in children of parents with a mental disorder. Annali dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 49, 4, 406-411, DOI: 10.4415/ann_13_04_15
  67. Verrocchio, M. C., & Miragoli, S. (2013). Maltrattamento e abuso all’infanzia: fattori di rischio e fattori di protezione. In A. De Risio & R. Miletto (Eds.), Complice il silenzio. Roma: Alpes Italia Editore.
  68. Waldinger, R. J., Toth, S. L., & Gerber, A. (2001). Maltreatment and internal rapresentations of relationships: Core relationship themes in narratives of abused and negleted preschoolers. Social Development, 10, 1, 41-58, DOI: 10.1111/1467-9507.00147
  69. Waldinger, R. J., Schulz, M. S., Barsky, A. J., & Ahern, D. K. (2006). Mapping the road from childhood trauma to adult somatization: The role of attachment. Psychosomatic Medicine, 68, 1, 129-135, DOI: 10.1097/01.psy.0000195834.37094.a4
  70. Wark, M. J., Kruczek, T., & Boley, A. (2003). Emotional neglect and family structure: Impact on student functioning. Child Abuse & Neglect, 27, 1033-1043, DOI: 10.1016/S0145-2134(03)00162-5
  71. Webb, M., Heisler, D., Call, S., Chickering, S. A., & Colburn, T. A. (2007). Shame, guilt, symptoms of depression, and reported history of psychological maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 31, 1143-1153, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.09.003
  72. White, H. R., Widom, C. S., & Chen, P. H. (2007). Congruence between adolescents’ self-reports and their adult retrospective reports regarding parental discipline practices during their adolescence. Psychological Reports, 101, 1079-1094, DOI: 10.2466/pr0.101.4.1079-1094
  73. Wolfe, D. A., & McIsaac, C. (2011). Distinguishing between poor/dysfunctional parenting and child emotional maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 802-813, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2010.12.009
  74. Wright, M. O., Crawford, E., & Del Castillo, D. (2009). Childhood emotional maltreatment and later psychological distress among college students: The mediating role of maladaptive schemas. Child Abuse & Neglect, 33, 59-68, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2008.12.007

  • Gli abusi sui minorenni nello sport: prevalenza, tipologie e direttive Europee Lilybeth Fontanesi, Olimpia Planzo, Giulia Cosi, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 3/2024 pp.31
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2023-003003
  • Ostilità verbale materna durante il lockdown dovuto al COVID-19: il ruolo dell'abuso verbale infantile, della stabilità emotiva e del burnout genitoriale Daniela Marchetti, Lilybeth Fontanesi, Serena Di Giandomenico, Cristina Mazza, Paolo Roma, Maria Cristina Verrocchio, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 3/2021 pp.37
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2021-003003
  • Esperienze traumatiche e disturbo alimentare: dalla nascita all'età adulta Nicoletta Ragonese, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 1/2015 pp.7
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2015-001001
  • Parental psychological control: An intrusive form of parenting Rosalba Larcan, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 2/2020 pp.7
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2020-002001
  • La disorganizzazione dell'attaccamento spiega i sintomi post-traumatici nei bambini vittime di violenza intrafamiliare? Elena Camisasca, Sarah Miragoli, Paola Di Blasio, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 2/2014 pp.35
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2014-002003
  • Le memorie traumatiche e il corpo: uno studio su maltrattamento infantile, consapevolezza interocettiva e sintomi somatici Luana La Marca, Andrea Scalabrini, Clara Mucci, Adriano Schimmenti, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 3/2018 pp.47
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2018-003004
  • Parenting invalidante e dipendenze tecnologiche: il ruolo del controllo psicologico genitoriale Maria Cristina Gugliandolo, Valeria Verrastro, Francesca Liga, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 3/2019 pp.55
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2019-003005
  • Il ruolo del trauma infantile nell'insorgenza del Binge Eating Disorder Vincenzo Caretti, Cettina Crisafi, Nicoletta Ragonese, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 1/2015 pp.13
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2015-001002
  • I precursori della violenza infantile nel periodo perinatale: una review della letteratura Stefania Cataudella, Giulio Cesare Zavattini, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 2/2015 pp.11
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2015-002002
  • Fattori psicologici che procrastinano la richiesta d'aiuto nella violenza domestica: il ruolo delle dinamiche familiari Ugo Pace, Marco Cacioppo, Carla Zappulla, Giulio D’Urso, Vincenzo Caretti, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 3/2018 pp.73
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2018-003005
  • Preliminary development and psychometrics characteristics of a multidimensional measure of Parental Psychological Control: The Inventory of Parental Psychological Control (IPPC) Francesca Cuzzocrea, Sebastiano Costa, Marco Cannavò, Maria Cristina Gugliandolo, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 2/2020 pp.55
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2020-002004
  • Esperienze Sfavorevoli Infantili e Spazio Neutro protetto. Valutazione d'efficacia di un modello di buone prassi nella conduzione degli incontri protetti genitori-figli Maria Serena Saddemi, Maria Assunta Strano, in MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL'INFANZIA 1/2019 pp.91
    DOI: 10.3280/MAL2019-001007

Maria Cristina Verrocchio, Il maltrattamento psicologico: caratteristiche e conseguenze in "MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA" 1/2014, pp 11-35, DOI: 10.3280/MAL2014-001002