The scale and impact of emotional maltreatment is immense, so the extent to which it has pervaded the development of children and the magnitude of its effects can seem overwhelming.
The implications for a child's mental and physical health are outlined in the book, which works through the assembled studies, documents the long-term effects and emphasises the importance of prevention in the first instance.
The authors have created a grading system, based on the methodology and validity of each study, in order to provide a guide for practitioners. However, they acknowledge the difficulty in exploring this subject: most studies focus on emotional abuse as part of a package of maltreatment, and while a large proportion of adults report experiencing emotional abuse in childhood, much goes unreported. There is also the issue of distinguishing emotional maltreatment from "sub-optimal parenting", where parents may be resentful or hostile towards a child.
The studies, focused mainly on mothers and those from low social and economic backgrounds, largely demonstrate a need for tailored multiple interventions according to the parent and child's situation. The book highlights the importance of emotional wellbeing to child development and the raising of mentally and emotionally healthy young adults and future parents, thus breaking the cycle of emotional maltreatment. It also shows there is a real need for more rigorous research, as well as a shift in cultural attitudes to view emotional abuse as intolerable.
Erin Wright, regional co-ordinator of Very Important Kids (VIK), YoungMinds
