The Child Welfare Information Gateway notes that in 2006, about 905,000 children suffered from child abuse, which includes physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect. These forms of abuse deeply affect children: it can affect them psychologically, behaviorally and physically. The effects of childhood abuse can continue into adulthood, affecting both the victim and people close to him or her.
Psychological Effects of Child Abuse
Suffering from abuse during childhood can cause psychological problems in victims. For example, during childhood, victims as young as three years old can show signs of depression. Besides feeling sad, people with depression can have feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and helplessness. The Child Welfare Information Gateway explains that in a study conducted in 1996, 80 percent of child abuse victims had symptoms of at least one psychological disorder by age 21.
Examples of psychological disorders that can occur in child abuse victims in adulthood include depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, anxiety and eating disorders. Some victims have different anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Other possible disorders that the child abuse victims can have include reactive attachment disorder, dissociative disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Helpguide.org adds that when a child is abused by a parent or a trusted adult, the child has trouble trusting other people in the future. These trust issues can cause problems maintaining relationships. The abuse may make victims feel damaged or worthless, which can affect their goal motivation in the future. Victims may also have trouble regulating their emotions.
Behavioral Effects of Child Abuse
Some victims of child abuse can have changes in their behavior as a result of what they experienced. The Child Welfare Information Gateway explains that an estimated one-third of abused and neglected children abuse their own children. This repeated abuse can occur because the victims repeat the behaviors they saw during their childhood. But as Helpguide.org points out, not all victims of abuse repeat these negative behaviors when they become adults. Instead, they work to protect their children from that pain.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway adds that when people are abused during childhood, they are about 25 percent more likely to have problems like doing poorly in school or becoming pregnant as a teenager. They may turn to alcohol and drugs as a way to deal with issues stemming from the abuse. Some childhood abuse victims may participate in criminal behaviors.
Physical Effects of Child Abuse
If the abuse involves physical contact, victims can have bruises or broken bones. But some of the physical effects of child abuse can affect victims' health. For example, the Child Welfare Information Gateway points out that victims of child abuse are more likely to have physical problems like ulcers, allergies, high blood pressure, arthritis, asthma and bronchitis.
With shaken baby syndrome, a type of child abuse, the child can suffer from damage to the spinal cord or neck, bleeding in the eyes or brain, or bone fractures. Abuse can also affect brain development, causing problems with cognition and language, which can affect school performance, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch - Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch is a recent graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, CT with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in ...
