The Impact of Emotional Abuse and Emotional Trauma

Level: Advanced Practice-Lineworker

Credits: 6

Intended Audience: New and current child welfare personnel who want information on child emotional abuse and emotional trauma

Intended Objectives:

• To explicate the specific acts that constitute emotional maltreatment
  To outline the differences between emotional neglect and emotional abuse
  To review the categories of parents who may commit emotional maltreatment
• To explore the interaction of emotional maltreatment with other forms of abuse and neglect
• To understand the effects of emotional maltreatment on various areas of child development
• To review some of the physical and behavioral indicators of emotional trauma
• To demonstrate the relationships between emotional trauma and the development of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms
• To examine specific interventions with emotionally abused children and youth

Topics Include:

• Forms, characteristics, and categories (acts) of emotional abuse
• Categories of parents who commit emotional maltreatment
• Emotional neglect and attachment disorders
• Assessment and assessment issues
• Interventions with emotional abuse

CalSWEC Competencies Addressed:

2.2 Student recognizes and accurately identifies physical, emotional, and behavioral indicators of child abuse, child neglect and child sexual abuse in children and their families.

2.3 Student is able to gather, assess and present pertinent information from interviews, case records, and other collateral sources required to evaluate an abuse or neglect allegation.