Definition, Incidence and Psychopathological Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect

Abstract

In children and adolescents, child abuse and neglect can produce a decline in their biologi‐ cal, psychological and social functions. Child maltreatment in childhood and adolescence is recognised as an important psychopathological risk factor and is associated with poor psy‐ chological function in childhood and adolescence and adulthood. In this respect, we empha‐ sise that it is wrong to believe that current knowledge has enabled the identification of clearly differentiated consequences for each type of child maltreatment. There is a high de‐ gree of co-morbidity among the different types, in such a way that many children experi‐ ence more than one form of maltreatment and display common consequences. Moreover, it still needs to be clarified whether child abuse and neglect produces a general vulnerability towards psychopathology, in such a way that other factors would be responsible for the form finally adopted by psychopathology.