The Effects of Early Childhood Abuse on Development
Abstract
“The
Effects of Early Childhood Abuse on Development,”
This paper would briefly explain the developmental aspect of young children and
how abusive experiences can alter the overall development of young victims.
With the utilization of scholarly resources and peer review studies. This paper
would highlight some of the theories of abuse, the history of childhood abuse,
and the outcome of experiencing abusive situations. In using information
regarding this topic, this paper would
highlight how abuse can alter human development and lead to chronic illnesses and death.
The Effects of Early Childhood Abuse on Development
Early childhood maltreatment is an on-going epidemic within
our society. Nearly, 8,000,000 cases of child abuse are documented every year.
Excluding the cases that haven’t been reported
to the authorities (Friedman, 2010). Unlike abuse
in other stages of development, early childhood abuse is detrimental to the
development of children between the ages of 1-6 years old. Statistics have shown that during these ages, a
child is more likely to be victimized as compared to older children and
adolescents (Kolk, 2005). The disturbing nature of these statistics have fueled
many theories regarding the aftermath of traumatic experiences. One theory being “The Intergenerational
Transmission Theory” which proposes that individuals who are victims of abuse
or have witnessed abuse in people who are close to them develops an abnormal
perception of violence and are more likely to be
involved in abusive relationship later on in life (Alexander, 2009). A
study shows that two out of three women who have been abused as a child suffers from “Intimate Partner Violence” than
those who have not experienced abuse
(Alexander, 2009). Another theory is “The Mimetic Theory” where a victim may
admire the actions of a perpetrator or perpetrators
and view them as being vigorous and
powerful. This theory suggests that those victims learn to imitate the aggression
of their abusers and act violent themselves as they grow to believe that it
makes them compelling (Craig &
Sprang, 2007). An additional theory is
“The Family Systems Theory” which unlike “The Intergenerational Transmission
Theory” and “The Mimetic Theory” focus on how familial stressors can contribute
to childhood abuse. This theory claims that families struggling with severe
life stressors such as chronic illness, unemployment, financial problems, and
relational problems within the family have a higher rate of childhood maltreatment than families without such
stressors (Crosson-Towner,2005). Apart from scientific research and theories,
our society view early childhood abuse as undesirable
and needs to be eradicated. Based off of these views, there are currently
government programs that specializes in the protection of children. One of the
most popular programs is “The Department of Family and Protective Services”
better known as “DFPS”. However, early childhood abuse was not always viewed in this manner, before 1875 there weren’t any organization dedicated to the
protection of children and as a result many children went without defense. Also
during this period in history our society had the belief of letting caregivers
discipline children anyway they choose
(Myers, 2008). There are many outside
influences that contributes to maltreatment. Forces
such as economic struggles, poor environments, education and etc, which could be linked to the occurrence of abuse
in young children. These risk factors also change the development of a child in
many ways. In
order for us to have a full understanding of how early childhood abuse can have lingering effects into
adulthood. We have to first identify the important developmental factors during
this stage, how ill-treatment throughout early
childhood can impact this
development and how these effects correlate to chronic illnesses and disorders.
Early childhood is
the stage in development where a child begins to connect to the outside world.
Physically this is the stage where they start
to increase in height and weight. Cognitively this is the stage where they start to use words and actions to describe the
things around them. Emotionally, this is the stage were a child will begin to comprehend the emotions they are
feelings (Santrock,2013). During this stage a child is able to express his/her
feelings towards negative and positive situations and develop a sense of pride,
embarrassment, and shame. As their emotional awareness increases they begin to
rely on their attachments with others (Santrock,2013). Unhealthy attachments
during this stage may lead to the development of other problems such as maladaptive
self-development, deficient peer relationships, and educational difficulties
later on in their lives (Friedman, 2010). Studies have shown that
neglected/abused children have a hard time with coping skills, emotional
regulation and are often times confused by the reactions of others. The
University of Rochester located in New York, conducted a study of maltreated and non-maltreated preschoolers.
Researchers found that every category of abuse showed more signs of
dissociative behaviors than non-abused children. Which brought the discovery of
a connection between maltreatment/abuse
and the symptomology and chronicity of this sort of behavior (Friedman, 2010).
Another study tested the similarity between maltreated
human children and rhesus monkeys. Researchers in this study have found that
most female monkeys that were separated
from their mothers during birth suffered from abnormal social interaction
skills. These monkeys also develop a neglectful tendency towards their first-born
babies. Like these monkeys they discovered that children who experience abuse
or neglect have a negative perception of themselves and others. Which resulted
in them having a negative view of the social world and social interactions
(Friedman, 2010).
Environments
and experiences both impact early human development rather it’s the development
of the brain or the development of prosocial behavior. The effects of both
factors normally starts in the prenatal period and carries throughout early
childhood (Shonoff, Phillps, 2000). The expected growth of children is based on
dependable relationships and it’s the responsibility of caregivers to provide
love, security, encouragement responsive interactions and safe environments to
aid them during this developmental stage. Nevertheless, statistics have shown, the majority of early
childhood traumatic experiences happens within the home of the victim and the
majority of the perpetrators are their own parental units. In fact, parents and
caregivers have an enormous portion to do with the victimization of young
children. According to a study conducted in 2005, 79.4% of child abusers are
the parents and the second largest group of perpetrators are unmarried
partners. Nearly 40% of child abusers is the mother of the victim and 17.3% of
children have been abused by both parents (Babbel, 2011). The reason why parents tend to abuse their children varies from
being a victim of abuse themselves, having a lack of knowledge on how to
discipline their child, being overly stressed, and dealing with feelings of failure. However, the most prominent cause of
parental abuse is substance abuse. According to Columbia University’s National
Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 70% of all cases involving childhood maltreatment is a result of drug addiction (Babbel, 2011). Which can
alter the typical expectancy of children in this developmental stage. According
to Piaget’s theory of development, early childhood is known as the
preoperational stage, when children are expected to form stable concepts and
begin to reason (Santrock,2013). Research have shown that for child victims of
maltreatment it is harder for them to reason properly and develop secure
relationships later on (Kolk, 2005). In extreme cases of early childhood abuse
and neglect you can find evidence of developmental alteration involving feral
children like Genie Whitley. Who suffered from extreme isolation as a young
child, prior to being found at the age of 13. After being discovered, she
possessed many developmental problems such as animalistic behavior, had a lack
of emotional reactions, and was slow to develop connections with those around
her (Curtiss, Fromkin, Krahsen, Rigler, 1974).
These life
experiences can not only delay the progression of development but, can be
connected with poor decision making and chronic behavioral and physical
illnesses. One study has found direct relations between childhood maltreatment,
and their effects would be “The Adverse
Childhood Experiences Study” or “The ACE Study”. In this study they
labeled childhood abuse, neglect, and exposure to other traumatic stressors as
adverse childhood experiences. In studying 17,421 members of the Kasier health
plan in San Diego, California researchers have found that these adverse life
experiences are more common than we may think. Nearly, 86% of the participants
experienced household dysfunction, 60% experienced abuse, and 25% experienced
some form of neglect (Anda). According to Dr. Bruce Perry, our brain develops
specific signals at specific times. During critical period our brains are
sensitive to our environmental input, including traumatic experiences (Anda).
Adverse childhood experiences affect different brain functions, which can cause
multiple problems in various medical and social domains. Results of these effects
is a person developing depression, hallucinations, severe obesity, sleep
disturbance, smoking, drug addiction, early intercourse, sexual promiscuity, high
stress and problems controlling anger (Anda). The effects of a person
developing these disorders can also relate to chronic illness such as sexually
transmitted diseases, heart disease, liver disease, suicide which can all
correlate to death. This provides enough evidence to support the theory that
early childhood abuse and maltreatment can lead to serious problems later on in
a person’s life.
In
conclusion, it is crucial that the effects of childhood abuse should be
understood from every angle. Many problems, individuals within our society are
struggling with can be connected to childhood experiences. Whether, the
experiences have to do with enduring verbal, physical, mental, emotional,
sexual abuse, or even witnessing horrific events as a child. These experiences
shape the way a person think, act, and their overall well-being. As quoted by Kimberly Friedman “Many
individuals who experience maltreatment
such as neglect or abuse are significantly
affected beyond childhood and adolescence; there is a significant relationship
between child abuse and psychological disorders in adulthood (Friedman 2010).”
Currently they’re many programs such as the “Childhood Prevention and Treatment
Act”. Which is a government legislation that specializes in the protection of
children. This act has paved the way for other early childhood abuse prevention
programs, such as the “National Association of Early Childhood Education”. Who
work hands on with professionals to create early prevention polices for
children. Both programs have created their whole existence on the prevention of
childhood abuse. However, scholars are still researching, observing, and
creating studies. That would continue to underline the importance of
eradicating early childhood maltreatment.
References
Friedman, K. (2010). Early
Childhood Abuse and Neglect: Exploring the consequences, effects, and
treatment. 1-25. doi:10.1075/ps.5.3.02chi.audio.2f
Anda, R. F. (n.d.). The wide-ranging health and social impact of adverse
childhood. PsycEXTRA Dataset, 1-20. doi:10.1037/e608922012-003
Alexander, P. (2009). Childhood trauma, attachment,
and abuse by multiple partners.
Craig, C. and Sprang, G. (2007). Trauma exposure and child
abuse potential: Investigating the cycle of violence. American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry, 77(2), 296-305.
Crosson-Towner,
C. (2005). Understanding child abuse and neglect. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Curtiss, S., Fromkin, V.,
Krashen, S., Rigler, D., & Rigler, M. (1974). The Linguistic Development of
Genie. Language, 50(3), 528. doi:10.2307/412222
Santrock, J.W. (2013). A topical
approach to life-span development (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill
Publishing Company
Note From Author
Hello you guys I just wanted to share with you what I wrote for my final paper in my last term. I figured that this topic was very important in the sense that people aren't aware of the full on effects of childhood abuse. Normally I don't post my citations but this time I felt that it was important to do so incase you guys were interested in doing your own research .
Really, hope that my sleepless/ caffeine induced nights of writing this paper can be of help to someone in away of educating themselves or dealing with a child that have experienced abused.
As always, I Love You Guys! XOXOX!
Petals Falling Until Next Time!
