Chapter 7
stressed child,PET scans show dark spots
or gaps in the brain.In a normal child,
these same areas“light up.”
In situations of prolonged abuse or
neglect,these changes may be permanent.
Interestingly,though still speculative,
these children’s brain scans have similar
patterns to scans found in adults with
borderline or narcissistic personality
disorders.In spite of these similarities,we
must advise against inferring causation
until more research is achieved.
The cortisol (stress hormone) level in
children who are under significant
emotional stress also measures higher
than in normal children.The longer the
level remains high,the greater the
likelihood of permanent brain changes
(Gurian,2002).
Child Abuse and Neglect
On almost any day,the local news
documents the horrors of child abuse and
child neglect,which continues to be a
major problem in this country.The child
victimization rate in 2006 was 12.1 per
1,000 children,down from 12.3 per 1,000
children in 2002.This translates to just
under 1 million children abused or
neglected in 2006.In 2006,boys accounted
for 48.2% and girls accounted for 51.5%.
Figure 7.2 reveals young children are more
likely to experience abuse and neglect than
older children.In 2006,the rate of abuse
or neglect for children 3 and under was
38.6 per 1000 children of the same age
group,with the highest percentage of
victimization occurring in the birth to 1
year range (24.4 per 1000) (ChildWelfare
Information Gateway,2007).Nearly 83%
of these children were abused by their
parents,with non-parental perpetrators
(foster parent,daycare staff,unmarried
partner of a parent,legal guardian,or
residential facility staff) accounting for
another 10%.(ChildWelfare Information
Gateway,2007).This means over 90% of
child abuse and neglect is inflicted by
someone the child knows!
While the causes of abuse are not well
understood,the incidence of abuse is
higher in poor and extremely poor
families.Certain parental characteristics
also have been found in parents who
abused their children.Cognitive factors
such as a negative attitude,unrealistic
expectations,and inaccurate knowledge of
normal child behavior were seen as
playing a role in abuse,especially neglect.
The attitudes toward the child before
birth—such as an unwanted pregnancy—
are associated with subsequent
maltreatment of the child.Personality
attributes such as anger and anxiety—
especially when compounded by other
stressors,such as marital conflict,poverty,
unemployment,or a difficult child—were
also associated with abuse of a child.
In comparison to non-abusive parents,
abusive parents displayed greater