Pschological Effects of Child Abuse
The Psychological Effects of Child Abuse
As you are sitting in the living room watching TV, you hear those accustomed sounds. You hear the shouting, the roaring, and the crying. In the background of all the sounds, you slightly hear a child’s voice begging for their life. Unfortunately, this scenario is not that uncommon. Child abuse is growing at an alarming rate. Child abuse is known for its physical, behavioral, and societal effects, but there are also psychological effects. Psychological effects are those that influence the mind or emotions. The psychological effects of child abuse include, but are not limited to, poor relationships with peers, engaging in drugs and/or alcohol, and aggressive or hostile behavior.
When children have been abused they may develop certain behavioral patterns that they practiced when they were abused, such as withdrawal or feelings of anxiety when they see their abuser (Nauert). Abused children react negatively to people who remind them of their past abusers, this interferes with their relationships with other people.
A study showed women with a history of childhood abuse reacted negatively to strangers whose characteristics were similar to their own parent. The participants of the study displayed negative reactions to strangers that exemplified characteristics of their abuser such as expectations for rejection, mistrust, dislike, and emotional distancing. Though, no such pattern occurred among the abused participants when the new person had no resemblance to their abuser. Because the women were so use to reacting in such a manner, they didn’t care about how unsuitable or ineffective their reactions were for the situation at hand (Nauert).
Another psychological effect of child abuse is substance abuse. Children victimized by child maltreatment are more likely than people who were not maltreated to engage in juvenile delinquency, adult corruption, and violent behavior. The traumatization from the abuse is long-lasting.
As you are sitting in the living room watching TV, you hear those accustomed sounds. You hear the shouting, the roaring, and the crying. In the background of all the sounds, you slightly hear a child’s voice begging for their life. Unfortunately, this scenario is not that uncommon. Child abuse is growing at an alarming rate. Child abuse is known for its physical, behavioral, and societal effects, but there are also psychological effects. Psychological effects are those that influence the mind or emotions. The psychological effects of child abuse include, but are not limited to, poor relationships with peers, engaging in drugs and/or alcohol, and aggressive or hostile behavior.
When children have been abused they may develop certain behavioral patterns that they practiced when they were abused, such as withdrawal or feelings of anxiety when they see their abuser (Nauert). Abused children react negatively to people who remind them of their past abusers, this interferes with their relationships with other people.
A study showed women with a history of childhood abuse reacted negatively to strangers whose characteristics were similar to their own parent. The participants of the study displayed negative reactions to strangers that exemplified characteristics of their abuser such as expectations for rejection, mistrust, dislike, and emotional distancing. Though, no such pattern occurred among the abused participants when the new person had no resemblance to their abuser. Because the women were so use to reacting in such a manner, they didn’t care about how unsuitable or ineffective their reactions were for the situation at hand (Nauert).
Another psychological effect of child abuse is substance abuse. Children victimized by child maltreatment are more likely than people who were not maltreated to engage in juvenile delinquency, adult corruption, and violent behavior. The traumatization from the abuse is long-lasting.