Emotionally Harmful Parenting

Abstract

Emotional maltreatment tends to be overshadowed in research and in practice by other forms of maltreatment that present more obvious and explicit evidence and appear to require a more urgent response. This article aims to explore a growing body of research pointing to: (a) ways in which emotional maltreatment may adversely impact upon a child's development and functioning; (b) factors that practitioners may wish to consider when determining whether significant harm has occurred or is likely to occur in cases of emotional maltreatment; and (c) various levels of intervention that may be usefully applied to build stronger attachment and relationship with parents or carers and to reduce emotionally harmful behaviour of the carers.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dorota Iwaniec

Dorota Iwaniec is Emeritus Professor, School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work at Queen's University, Belfast

Emma Larkin

Emma Larkin is a Research Fellows at the Institute of Child Care Research, Queen's University, Belfast

Dominic McSherry

Dominic McSherry is a Research Fellows at the Institute of Child Care Research, Queen's University, Belfast