Child Maltreatment and Psychological Development

Child maltreatment refers to acts of commission or omission of a child under the age of 18 years by a parent, a caregiver, or a person in a custodial role that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child. It is a significant public health and societal concern that has numerous negative consequences for the development of a child. These consequences range from acute and severe (e.g., traumatic brain injury, death) to long-term negative outcomes such as mental health problems and behavioral difficulties (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, increased risk for suicide). Of the various areas of child development that are impacted (e.g., impaired brain development), child maltreatment has a profound and long-term impact on psychological development.