Ignoring your child can be a form of abuse

Ignoring your child can be a form of abuse

How does it affect children when parents and adults ignore them?  “Ignoring” too much is a form of emotional abuse that can have lasting effects on a child.

Emotional abuse – termed by the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics as the “psychological maltreatment of children,” now has been defined as a repeated pattern of damaging interactions between a parent or adult and a child that becomes typical of the relationship.

Ignoring, or failing to acknowledge, interact, or give any sort of response, conveys to the child that she or he is worthless, unloved, flawed, unwanted, endangered, or only to meet the needs of others.  This affects a child’s…

Confidence – believing that she or he is worthless, not good enough

Behavior – crying or bed-wetting; easily angered, aggressive, bullying, threatening

Future – experiencing learning disabilities, more likely to use drugs or alcohol, unable to form lasting or healthy relationships. If you don’t think attention makes a difference in the life of a child: