Emotional Abuse and Neglect

Types of abuse

Emotional abuse is the ongoing emotional maltreatment of a child. It’s sometimes called psychological abuse and can seriously damage a child’s emotional health and development.

Emotional abuse can involve deliberately trying to scare or humiliate a child or isolating or ignoring them.

Children who are emotionally abused are often suffering another type of abuse or neglect at the same time

Emotional abuse includes:

• humiliating or constantly criticising a child
• threatening, shouting at a child or calling them names
• making the child the subject of jokes, or using sarcasm to hurt a child
• blaming, scapegoating
• making a child perform degrading acts
• not recognising a child's own individuality, trying to control their lives
• pushing a child too hard or not recognising their limitations
• exposing a child to distressing events or interactions such as domestic abuse or drug taking
• failing to promote a child's social development
• not allowing them to have friends
• persistently ignoring them
• being absent
• manipulating a child
• never saying anything kind, expressing positive feelings or congratulating a child on successes
• never showing any emotions in interactions with a child, also known as emotional neglect.

Possible signs and indicators

Emotional and behavioural states consider child maltreatment if:

a child or young person displays or is reported to display a marked change in behaviour or emotional state that is a departure from what would be expected for their age and developmental stage and is not explained by a known stressful situation that is not part of child maltreatment (for example, bereavement or parental separation) or medical cause. Examples include:

• recurrent nightmares containing similar themes
• extreme distress
• markedly oppositional behaviour
• withdrawal of communication
• becoming withdrawn.

a child’s behaviour or emotional state is not consistent with their age and developmental stage or cannot be explained by medical causes,

neurodevelopmental disorders (for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders) or other stressful situation that is not part of child maltreatment (for example, bereavement or parental separation). Examples of behaviour or emotional states that may fit this description include:

• Emotional states:
  • fearful, withdrawn, low self-esteem
• Behaviour:
  • aggressive, oppositional
  • habitual body rocking
• Interpersonal behaviours:
  • indiscriminate contact or affection seeking
  • over-friendliness to strangers including healthcare professionals
  • excessive clinginess
  • persistently resorting to gaining attention
  • demonstrating excessively ‘good’ behaviour to prevent parental or carer disapproval
  • failing to seek or accept appropriate comfort or affection from an appropriate person when significantly distressed
  • coercive controlling behaviour towards parents or carers
  • very young children showing excessive comforting behaviours when witnessing parental or carer distress.

a child shows repeated, extreme or sustained emotional responses that are out of proportion to a situation and are not expected for the child’s age or developmental stage or explained by a medical cause, neurodevelopmental disorder (for example, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders) or bipolar disorder and the effects of any known past maltreatment have been explored. Examples of these emotional responses include:

• anger or frustration expressed as a temper tantrum in a school-aged child
• frequent rages at minor provocation
• distress expressed as inconsolable crying.

a child shows dissociation (transient episodes of detachment that are outside the child’s control and that are distinguished from daydreaming, seizures or

deliberate avoidance of interaction) that is not explained by a known traumatic event unrelated to maltreatment.

a child or young person regularly has responsibilities that interfere with essential normal daily activities (for example, school attendance).

a child responds to a health examination or assessment in an unusual, unexpected or developmentally inappropriate way (for example, extreme passivity, resistance or refusal).

is concern that parent– or carer–child interactions may be harmful. Examples include:

• Negativity or hostility towards a child or young person.
• Rejection or scapegoating of a child or young person.
• Developmentally inappropriate expectations of or interactions with a child, including inappropriate threats or methods of disciplining.
• Exposure to frightening or traumatic experiences, including domestic abuse.
• Using the child for the fulfilment of the adult’s needs (for example, children being used in marital disputes).
• Failure to promote the child’s appropriate socialisation (for example, involving children in unlawful activities, isolation, not providing stimulation or education).

when persistent harmful parent– or carer–child interactions are observed or reported.

if parents or carers are seen or reported to punish a child for wetting despite professional advice that the symptom is involuntary.

if there is emotional unavailability and unresponsiveness from the parent or carer towards a child and in particular towards an infant.

if there is persistent emotional unavailability and unresponsiveness from the parent or carer towards a child and in particular towards an infant.

Further information:

NSPCC and Cardiff University Department of Child Health. (2014b). Core Info: Neglect or Emotional Abuse in Children Aged 5-14. London: NSPCC, (Accessed 29/7/2019)

NSPCC and Cardiff University Department of Child Health. (2014c). Core Info: Neglect or Emotional Abuse in Teenagers Aged 13-18. London: NSPCC, (Accessed 29/7/2019)

NSPCC Emotional abuse: signs, indicators and effects, (Accessed 29/7/2019)