Psychological Symptoms Of Child Abuse Essay

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Introduction
Many children are affected by abuse in the current day and age. In the USA, allegations of childhood abuse and neglect are made for 6 million children annually (USDHHS, 2009). Child abuse causes many problems in psychological, physical and neurological development. Not only does this affect them during childhood, it also has lasting effects into adolescence and adulthood.

Psychological Symptoms of Child Abuse
After experiencing abuse, a child can be affected in many different psychological ways. Amongst the psychological symptoms, there can be anxiety, social withdrawals, delays in psychological, emotional and social development. (insert in-text citation for psychology book here). These are the most harmful symptoms that follow into adolescence. Due to the development of the brain, child abuse has more effects on the person in adolescence than it does during their childhood. During adolescence they are likely to experience many problems such as extremely low self-esteem, depression, PTSD, substance abuse, heightened loneliness and tendency to perform delinquent …show more content…

Other times physical ailments can be unintentionally self-inflicted by the child as a result of neglect from the parents. There is also the possibility that physical symptoms occur without any physical contact from the parent or the child's surroundings. It is thought that these symptoms occur due to excessive amounts of stress. “Stomachaches, headaches, bedwetting, and abnormal hormone changes. These suggest the body is dealing with high levels of stress.” (Myers, 2011; Yehuda, 2000). Abnormal hormone change can affect the child's growth and development which then would translate into problems in the child’s adolescence. The physical abuse causes more emotional stress and problems that will follow the child throughout life, more likely than it will actually cause lasting physical

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