Abstract
The research provides a comprehensive understanding of childhood mental abuse and the complex nature of the topic. The research synthesizes the literature reviewed through a vigorous process by ensuring that diversity and appropriate methodology are considered while selecting the literature to be reviewed. The research explores the topic by reviewing existing literature to identify causes and implications associated with childhood mental health and further analyzes the literature to identify gaps in the critical issues associated with childhood mental health not covered in such literature. The identified knowledge gap would be applied to the betterment of existing policies that address the problem of childhood mental abuse.
Table of Contents
Abstract
Childhood Mental Abuse
Literature Appropriateness
Literature Review
Childhood Mental Abuse
Causes of Childhood Mental Abuse
Impact of Childhood Mental Abuse
Prevalence of Childhood Mental Abuse
Position of the Available Literature
Conclusion
Childhood Mental Abuse
Childhood mental abuse is one of the current global issues that affects almost all nations across the globe. Most countries have witnessed scenarios in which children’s mental well-being is negatively impacted (Berry et al., 2021). Childhood mental abuse is attributed to many causes, some of which are purposefully initiated by external factors; at the same time, other causes are family dynamics and experiences that children undergo in their daily lives (Imran et al., 2020). With the rapid growth rate of childhood mental abuse, several interested parties have offered to dig into the problem, including individuals and governmental and non-governmental organizations (Berry et al., 2021). This research paper particularly digs into the core cause and implications of the childhood mental abuse problem by comprehensively identifying the concept of child abuse itself and other related issues that are associated with the problem (Imran et al., 2020). The research keenly examines the existing literature on child mental abuse to evaluate whether such existing knowledge is compressive. It covers detailed information on childhood mental abuse. The research further aims to capture any gap in the existing literature major on addressing the gap with an ultimate goal of formulating better policies to address the complexities that surround childhood mental abuse issues. The result of the research will, therefore, be articulated in several current policies that tend to address the global nightmare of childhood mental abuse.
Literature Appropriateness
Before embarking on a deep review of the existing literature on childhood mental abuse, proper synthesis of such existing literature was necessary with the aim of using the most appropriate literature. The methodology employed by each literature was one of the factors considered in identifying appropriate literature for analysis. In order to identify the reliability of the data, it is critical to identify the method used to gather such data. To further ensure the reliability of the literature to be reviewed, diversity in regions, disciplines, and gender was a key factor to consider. Lastly, the need to ensure that such literature addressing the contemporary issues of childhood mental abuse was necessary to be relevant.
Literature Review
Childhood Mental Abuse
Childhood mental abuse is a complex issue with several definitions and meanings attributed to the problem. There are several definitions tied to child mental abuse. Still, the core elements of such meanings that are constant in every definition include the manipulation of psychology, child discrimination, and neglect of a child’s emotional well-being, which eventually results in the deterioration of a child’s mental health (Champlain & Miller, 2021). The diversity of the definition of childhood mental abuse portrays a clear image that mental health can manifest in several ways depending on the situations and environments in which such abuse occurs. Childhood abuse ranges from physical, mental, and sexual to medical abuse (Imran et al., 2020). It means, therefore, that numerous children undergo mental abuse either knowingly or unknowingly (Champlain & Miller, 2021). The explorations into the diverse meanings of a child’s mental health inform the research of the need to explore further new interventions and measures of mitigating childhood mental abuse that are capable of capturing the diverse definitions and meanings.
Causes of Childhood Mental Abuse
According to the examination of the existing literature, several factors lead to the whole issue of childhood mental abuse. The factors that cause childhood mental abuse are pegged on the child’s relationship with parents, caregivers, other children, and the financial status of the environment in which such a child is brought up (Berry et al., 2021). Socioeconomic factors are one of the causes of childhood mental abuse (Baker et al., 2021). Children from financially unstable families are likely to face the problem of childhood mental abuse, given the diverse manifestations of such mental abuse (Baker et al., 2021). children who are unable to afford basic needs due to the poor financial status of the family are, in one way or another, likely to have deteriorated mental health, especially when they interact with other children from stable financial families.
Family Relationships or dynamics is another crucial factor that largely contributes to the issue of childhood abuse. The relationship between a child and parents, caregivers, and siblings plays a vital role in their mental growth and well-being (Baker et al., 2021). Children from abusive families, emotionally unsupportive families, parents with poor parenting skills, or families with constant domestic violence issues greatly face mental abuse problems (Boullier & Blair, 2018). Children with disorders ranging from physical to mental disorders are another category faced with childhood mental abuse (Baker et al., 2021). Finally, the cultural effect is another great cause of childhood discrimination; some cultures promote discrimination and child neglect, thus greatly contributing to childhood abuse (Boullier & Blair, 2018). Digging deeply into the causes of child abuse enables the research to capture every possible factor that might result in childhood mental abuse, which in turn assist in forming reliable measure and policies that can competently address the issue of childhood mental health.
Impact of Childhood Mental Abuse
Childhood mental abuse results in mental instability and psychological problems. Children who face such abuse portray some behaviors that depict great signs of mental instability. The impact of childhood abuse ranges from simple psychological problems to great mental instability (Boullier & Blair, 2018). Children who face extreme childhood mental abuse exhibit habits such as murder attempts on themselves, withdrawal from their peers, or habits of inflicting pain and harm on themselves and others (Berry et al., 2021). In other instances, such children show reluctance to engage in schooling activities and show defiant behaviors such as anger, hostility, and low self-esteem (Boullier & Blair, 2018). Exploring literature on the impact of childhood abuse enables a comprehensive understanding of the damage and pain that is inflicted by such abuse on the children themselves and the society as a whole and further enables gaining insight into possible ways of identifying such children from their behavior exhibition to assist and reduce the whole issue of childhood mental abuse.
Prevalence of Childhood Mental Abuse
Several official records show high levels of childhood mental abuse among families; however, from the literature analysis, it is clear that several factors greatly hinder the reporting of childhood mental abuse. Given the diverse nature of the abuse itself, it is likely that numerous children undergo the abuse voluntarily or involuntarily, and such cases are not recorded (Berry et al., 2021). Ignorance, fear of implications, and reluctance of the authority to take action are some of the reasons that deter people from coming forth to report cases of childhood mental abuse (Reardon et al., 2017). Critically analyzing the prevalence of the abuse informs on the regions and circumstances when such abuse is severe to take proper intervention measures.
Position of the Available Literature
The existing literature mainly explores the psychological, cultural, and socioeconomic factors and how they impact the prevalence of childhood mental abuse among families within the society. Literature on the psychological aspects explores several theories used by scholars to demonstrate the relationship between growth and childhood mental abuse. The theories are rooted in the experiences people face in childhood and their impacts on mental growth. Some of the theories explored in such literature include the social learning theory.
Social learning theories help in understanding the reasons for the existence of childhood abuse cycles and why people who undergo childhood mental abuse are mentally unstable. The theory states that children who undergo the abuse are likely to be abusive themselves since they learn and imitate such inappropriate behaviors that are associated with their childhood mental abuse. The theory focuses on cognitive development and states that children learn by imitating their surroundings (Berry et al., 2021). Another theory explored in the literature is attachment theory. The attachment theory principle works within the relationship framework between children and the people within their environment (Boullier & Blair, 2018). The theory explores family dynamics, relationships, and boding (Berry et al., 2021). The theory states that the relationship between an individual and the people around them greatly has a dire psychological impact on their lives forever; this, therefore, implies that people who undergo childhood abuse live with serious psychological problems (Boullier & Blair, 2018).
There are further sociocultural theories explored by the existing literature regarding gaining deeper insight and understanding of childhood mental health. The theories explain how cultural rules and expectations define how children are brought up, which might result in childhood mental abuse (Berry et al., 2021). Some of the cultural norms and parenting practices are extreme and termed as mental abuse. One such theory is the cultural-ecological theory. Some of the literature explored the roles assigned to each gender and the societal expectations of each gender depending on particular societies (Boullier & Blair, 2018). The analysis is, however with the frameworks of ethical issues that are crucial in identifying and addressing the whole problem of childhood, given that it is a very sensitive issue, especially when addressing childhood mental abuse in the context of cultural norms and societal expectations.
The purpose of such a deep and conclusive analysis of the literature is to identify the gaps that exist within the existing literature on childhood mental abuse issues. The analysis would further aid in the proper and comprehensive understanding of childhood mental abuse. The identified gaps would be used to formulate and add to the existing policies that are in place for fighting the childhood mental abuse problem.
Conclusion
The research has keenly and comprehensively explained the complexities associated with childhood mental health abuse to add to the existing policies a valuable insight that might help in addressing the whole issue of childhood mental abuse. The research has critically reviewed the existing literature on the topic. By analyzing the theories appropriate for understanding childhood mental abuse, the study gives insight to various stakeholders with an interest in the fight against childhood mental health, including parents, children, and policymakers. The integration of many viewpoints emphasizes how multidisciplinary methods are essential for addressing and preventing mental abuse in children. This study expands the body of knowledge and provides a solid basis for future policy developments and well-informed initiatives.
References
Baker, K., Devine, R. T., Ng-Cordell, E., Raymond, F. L., & Hughes, C. (2021). Childhood intellectual disability and parents’ mental health: integrating social, psychological and genetic influences. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 218(6), 315–322. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/childhood-intellectual-disability-and-parents-mental-health-integrating-social-psychological-and-genetic-influences/7583D225D475EDCF9F090ACD6D259561
Berry, O. O., Londoño Tobón, A., & Njoroge, W. F. (2021). Social determinants of health: the impact of racism on early childhood mental health. Current Psychiatry Reports, 23, 1-10. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11920-021-01240-0
Boullier, M., & Blair, M. (2018). Adverse childhood experiences. Paediatrics and Child Health, 28(3), 132-137. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751722217302913
Imran, N., Zeshan, M., & Pervaiz, Z. (2020). Mental health considerations for children & adolescents in COVID-19 Pandemic. Pakistan journal of medical sciences, 36(COVID19-S4), S67. https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/camh.12233
Reardon, T., Harvey, K., Baranowska, M., O’Brien, D., Smith, L., & Creswell, C. (2017). What do parents perceive are the barriers and facilitators to accessing psychological treatment for mental health problems in children and adolescents? A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies. European child & adolescent psychiatry, pp. 26, 623–647. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-016-0930-6
Tamplain, P., & Miller, H. L. (2021). What can we do to promote mental health among individuals with developmental coordination disorder? Current developmental disorders reports, 8, 24-31. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40474-020-00209-7