Emotional, Behavioral, and Psychological Disturbances in Neglected Chil

Every year millions of children are abused and neglected worldwide. Child abuse is a global concern. It has severe outcomes on the children who are victims, and often the effects are long-lasting. Child abuse is a highly under-reported crime although of those reported, neglect accounts for the majority of child abuse cases (Pala, ÃÅ"nalacak, & ÃÅ"nlà ¼oÄŸlu, 2011). Neglect in children often has more dire consequences than other types of child abuse (DePanfilis, Children’s Bureau, & Office on Child Abuse & Neglect, 2006). One consequence especially prevalent in neglected children is insecure or lack of attachment to a primary caregiver. John Bowlby’s research has shown the evolutionary importance of infant attachments, further research shows that infant attachment styles carry over into adulthood (Levine & Heller, 2011). Neglected children showed disturbed attachments that manifest into developmental delays and behavioral problems. Through treatment neglected childr en aim to learn how to create secure attachments (Hardy, 2007). Defining neglect Numerous teachers, family doctors, social workers, among other professionals will be faced with child abuse and have the responsibility of reporting mistreatment. Therefore, it is important for these specialists to be able to recognize signs of child abuse and neglect (Pala, et al, 2011). The World Health Organization Consultation on Child Abuse Prevention currently recognizes four types of child abuse: physical, sexual, emotional, and neglect. Dr. Bengà ¼ Pala and his colleagues found that neglect accounted for up to 71% of the child abuse cases in 2008 around the world. They defined neglect as a parent or caregiver’s precedence of failure to provide for the development and welfare of the child ... ...on regulation and emotional stability (Hardy, 2007). From 2000 to 2004, 7.6 out of every 1,000 children were reported as being neglected. The Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect found that less than a third of child maltreatment is reported. The signs of neglect can often be subtle and hard for other adults to recognize; this attributes to the underreporting of neglect cases (DePanfilis, et al., 2006). Due to the fact that child abuse distresses millions of children every year and millions more suffer silently, it is important to improve research on the dilemma. Several studies acknowledge that there is an absence of research on attachment theory in neglected children (Venet et al.) It is imperative that research on attachment disorders drastically advance so that effective treatments can be developed allowing neglected children to heal.