PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

'... But names could really hurt me'

Psychological abuse puts children at risk, says McMaster researcher

2012-07-30
(Press-News.org) HAMILTON, ON (July 30, 2012) – Child abuse experts say psychological abuse can be as damaging to a young child's physical, mental and emotional health as a slap, punch or kick.

While difficult to pinpoint, it may be the most challenging and prevalent form of child abuse and neglect, experts say in an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) position statement on psychological maltreatment in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Psychological abuse includes acts such as belittling, denigrating, terrorizing, exploiting, emotional unresponsiveness, or corrupting a child to the point a child's well-being is at risk, said Dr. Harriet MacMillan, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences and pediatrics of McMaster University's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and the Offord Centre for Child Studies. One of three authors of the position statement, she holds the David R. (Dan) Offord Chair in Child Studies at McMaster.

"We are talking about extremes and the likelihood of harm, or risk of harm, resulting from the kinds of behavior that make a child feel worthless, unloved or unwanted," she said, giving the example of a mother leaving her infant alone in a crib all day or a father involving his teenager in his drug habit.

A parent raising their voice to a strident pitch after asking a child for the eighth time to put on their running shoes is not psychological abuse, MacMillan said. "But, yelling at a child every day and giving the message that the child is a terrible person, and that the parent regrets bringing the child into this world, is an example of a potentially very harmful form of interaction."

Psychological abuse was described in the scientific literature more than 25 years ago, but it has been under-recognized and under-reported, MacMillan said, adding that its effects "can be as harmful as other types of maltreatment."

The report says that because psychological maltreatment interferes with a child's development path, the abuse has been linked with disorders of attachment, developmental and educational problems, socialization problems and disruptive behaviour.

"The effects of psychological maltreatment during the first three years of life can be particularly profound."

This form of mistreatment can occur in many types of families, but is more common in homes with multiple stresses, including family conflict, mental health issues, physical violence, depression or substance abuse.

Although there are few studies reporting the prevalence of psychological abuse, the position statement says large population-based, self-report studies in Britain and the United States found approximately eight-to-nine per cent of women and four per cent of men reported exposure to severe psychological abuse during childhood. The statement says pediatricians need to be alert to the possibility of psychological abuse even though there is little evidence on potential strategies that might help. It suggests collaboration among pediatric, psychiatric and child protective service professionals is essential for helping the child at risk. Funders for the paper's development included the Family Violence Prevention Unit of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Along with MacMillan, the statement was prepared by Indiana pediatrician Dr. Roberta Hibbard, an expert on child abuse and neglect; Jane Barlow, professor of Public Health in the Early Years at the University of Warwick; as well as the Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Maltreatment and Violence Committee.

###

For more information or interviews, please contact:

Susan Emigh
Director, Public Relations
Faculty of Health Sciences
McMaster University
T: 905-525-9140, ext. 22555
E: emighs@mcmaster.ca
M: 905-518-3642

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

What would happen without PSA testing?

2012-07-30
A new analysis has found that doing away with PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing for prostate cancer would likely cause three times as many men to develop advanced disease that has spread to other parts of the body before being diagnosed. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study suggests that PSA testing and early detection may prevent approximately 17,000 men each year from having such advanced prostate cancer at diagnosis. PSA testing has come under fire recently as a potentially ineffective screen for ...

Would sliding back to pre-PSA era cancel progress in prostate cancer?

2012-07-30
Eliminating the PSA test to screen for prostate cancer would be taking a big step backwards and would likely result in rising numbers of men with metastatic cancer at the time of diagnosis, predicted a University of Rochester Medical Center analysis published in the journal, Cancer. The URMC study suggests that the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and early detection may prevent up to 17,000 cases of metastatic prostate cancer a year. Data shows, in fact, that if age-specific pre-PSA era incidence rates were to occur in the present day, the number of men whose cancer ...

Surgical patient safety program lowers SSIs by one-third following colorectal operations

2012-07-30
Chicago—(July 30, 2012): A surgical patient safety program that combines three components—accurate outcome measurement, support of hospital leadership, and engaged frontline providers—reduces surgical site infections (SSIs) by 33 percent in patients who undergo colorectal procedures, according to a new study published in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. SSIs are the most common complication for this high-risk population, occurring in 15 to 30 percent of patients after colorectal operations, according to the study authors. "Colorectal ...

Author Publishes New Kid's Adventure - The Scarecrow

2012-07-30
Author Max Elliot Anderson has published his 10th adventure book for children 8 - 13, The Scarecrow. "The Scarecrow is the first of my books to carry a stronger Christian message as part of the plot and story," Anderson said. "My primary intent in writing The Scarecrow is to provide an exciting book for readers 8 - 13, that can be used with confidence by parents, churches, children's ministries, homeschoolers, Christian schools, and others who wish to reach out to kids with this unique tool." The Scarecrow can also be given as a gift to a hurting ...

Upward Dog Pet Sitting Now Open in Claymont, Delaware

2012-07-30
Services provided include dog walking and in-home pet sitting for dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and other small animals. "Claymont is a Blueprint Community, and I'm excited to be opening a new business here," said Teresa Rothaar, owner of Upward Dog Pet Sitting. "I look forward to serving the people and pets in my community, and hope to ultimately bring jobs into the area." While busy professionals have long relied on dog walking services to exercise their pets and provide potty breaks during the day, in-home boarding of dogs, cats and other small ...

Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming Grows to 26 Locations

2012-07-30
Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, a leader in retail pet supplies and service, has grown to 26 franchise locations. The company attributes the record growth to the popularity of the brand, high demand for the products and services provided and a strong network of successful franchisees. With corporate offices in Orlando, Florida, Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming introduced a new store prototype in 2011 that reduces building costs and streamlines the construction process, enabling franchisees to better serve their customers. New Woof Gang Bakery stores typically include ...

Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation Funds Swim Program for Children With Autism

2012-07-30
The Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation (www.autismspectrumdisorderfoundation.org), a national organization that supports families living with autism, provides funding for autistic children to receive private swimming lessons at the Lydon Aquatic Center in Danvers, Massachusetts. Since the inception of the swim program in 2009, the Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation has provided financial assistance for twelve children to take swimming lessons every week, all year round. The private swimming lessons by instructors Maureen Lydon, Charlie Piper, and Sandra Dawson provide ...

Website Design Services for Physicians

2012-07-30
So if you are starting up your own practice or already have one and simply do not have your own website as of yet, then now is the time to make this happen. Of course, however, doctors typically do not double as website designers. For this reason, you may find that you need to hire a professional physician website design service to get your website up and running. Luckily, if you are looking for the best physician website design service for the job, you do not need to look any further than Medical Website Creations. There, they specialize in all kinds of medical website ...

US Senate to Discuss a Bill to Extend and Expand the Energy Tax Deduction for Commercial Buildings

2012-07-30
In a recently released draft of a bill that may be proposed as early as the U.S. Senate's next term, Senators Jeff Bingaman(D-NM) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) are working on what appear to be aggressive improvements to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which provides tax benefits for the installation of energy efficient commercial building improvements. The Act is also known as EPACT or 179D. Currently, EPACT allows a tax deduction of up to $1.80 per sq. foot under section 179D of the tax code for commercial buildings with energy efficient installations and upgrades to HVAC, ...

Savant Books Announces Release of G. Amati's New Novel, "Ammon's Horn" in Multi-eBook Formats

2012-07-30
This leg-pulling tale tells of a group of mis-guided, if slightly loony, scientists, of a lovely woman, a handsome athlete and  of two mischievous Greek gods who spill the beans on a scheme to privatize the USA and reduce the deficit by selling off the Western states.  So, what's the price of real estate in the fifth dimension? Born on the banks of the Detroit River in an orange crate house next to a pot-belly stove in the cold spring of 1930, Guerrino Amati worked his way through a BA English from Wayne State University and, later, after a stint in the US Army, an MA ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project

[Press-News.org] '... But names could really hurt me'
Psychological abuse puts children at risk, says McMaster researcher