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Risks Factors Part Two-Abuse and Neglect
Infants and children who suffer from abuse and neglect are at great risk. Infants who have been abused and neglected may display symptoms of distress such as displaying a “flat affect,” where they may seem sad or lethargic. They may also develop eating or sleeping problems, reject being touched, held or played with, and be difficult to soothe (Florida Association for Infant Mental Health). As these children grow into toddlers they may display aggressive behavior, attention problems or deficits and a lack of secure attachment. In addition, the infant or child may try to meet his or her own needs by “self-stimulating” behaviors such as rocking back and forth or seeking affection from any adult willing to show affection (Florida Association for Infant Mental Health). Without early intervention, these children can grow into adolescents who have issues with delinquency, school failure, anger and violence, teenage pregnancy and school dropout. As adults, they may repeat the negative behaviors that they experienced when dealing with their own children, perpetuating inter-generational cycles of abuse, neglect, family dysfunction, poor parenting skills, and mental illness. Dicker & Gordon (2006), of the New York State Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children, provide the following statistics related to infants and children suffering from abuse and neglect: Children ages birth to 3 are the largest group of victims in substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect.
Within this group, infants younger than a year old are at the greatest risk. Eighty percent of these children are at risk for poor development outcomes as a result of prenatal exposure to substances, and 40% were born prematurely with or without low birth weight. Infants and children in foster care have developmental delays at a rate of 4 to 5 times the national average. Of the general pediatric population, 5-10% have a behavioral or mental health problem. Of the population of children in the child protection system, 60% have mental health issues that require intervention (Dicker, 2006). At least one-third of the children in the child welfare system are infants and toddlers under the age of six (National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect, 1997).
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Contributor's Note
This is part of a series on Infant Mental Health.
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