CHILD EMOTIONAL ABUSE
Let’s look at the definition
- Perpetrator is a Parent or Caregiver
- Even someone in a temporary Caregiver role – such as Grandparents, Babysitters, Foster Parents, relatives or friends.
- Emotional abuse by other perpetrators is usually labelled bullying, or attached to physical or sexual abuse.
Emotional abuse is probably the most difficult of the five types of abuse to define but one definition used is this one - Emotional abuse involves inappropriate verbal or symbolic acts towards a child, or a failure to provide over time adequate nurturing and emotional availability. So really, any words, actions or indifference that can harm a child psychologically is emotional abuse.
The first thing to note about the definition is that the perpetrator for emotional abuse usually has to be a Parent or someone in a Caregiver role – and that’s because the acts and omissions that harm the child only do so BECAUSE of the relationship between the child and the offender. Note that even someone in a temporary or indirect Caregiver role, such as a Babysitter, Grandparent (particularly if they live in the house), relative, family friend, or Foster Parent can emotionally abuse a child.
Having said that – emotional abuse by Parents or Caregivers is not the only way a child’s psychological wellbeing can be harmed. Acts committed by friends, other relatives, or strangers such as sexual assaults, physical assaults, and psychological assaults including bullying can also cause harm to a child’s emotional and psychological wellbeing.
But for your Child Protection purposes, we are focused on identifying indicators of emotional abuse, so the main concern for you is whether you believe a child is suffering harm or not as a result of any kind of abuse – regardless of who you think the perpetrator is.
Remember also that one child bullying another may not constitute abuse for your purposes of reporting, but it may be an indicator of abuse in relation to the bully.