Infant emotional negligence what is, causes, consequences and how to treat it

All people have emotional needs, especially children, who are in full psychological and emotional development. In fact, in the children's stage is where the foundations of a balanced mental health are based. For this reason, when caregivers, fathers or mothers do not respond assertively to infants' emotional demands, long -term consequences can be very harmful.

In this psychology-online article we explain to you What is emotional negligence, causes consequences and how to treat it, since being emotionally abandoned can be a devastating experience for the infant.

1. What is child emotional negligence
2. Causes of child emotional negligence
3. What are the consequences of child emotional negligence
4. How to diagnose child emotional negligence
5. How to treat child emotional negligence

What is child emotional negligence

It is understood as child emotional negligence to the lack of attention suffered by a boy or girl from their emotional needs. This condition can manifest in different ways. For example, when fathers and mothers allow infants to consume alcohol and drugs, they are talking about child negligence, since it is in the presence of inappropriate independence for healthy and balanced development.

Another example of this would be when a child tells his caregivers who is sad because he was changed as a teacher and adults who listen to him minimize or ignore his feelings. Therefore, we could define child negligence as a Total lack of attention and responsibility to provide adequate protection to children at any age.

Consequences of child emotional negligence

This type of abandonment can have a strong negative impact on the infant and cause cognitive, academic, emotional and even health problems. On the other hand, it is not necessarily an emotional abuse, but it does include omission and carelessness in a key area of ​​people's emotional development.

Causes of child emotional negligence

It is possible that adults who neglect emotionally infants are going through some personal circumstance that causes their childhood negligence. Here are some:

• They have low self -esteem and little self -love.
• They are going through Episodes of anxiety and depression.
• Have been Victims of abuse Infant or psychological and/or physical abuse.
• They lack the necessary attitudes for the raising of their children.
• They suffer from addictions, imprisonments or diseases that do not allow them to take care of their children.

What are the consequences of child emotional negligence

Emotional negligence is a type of psychological abuse and child abuse. Although in these cases visible physical events such as bruises or scratches are not present, it leaves very harmful emotional traces.

Some consequences of emotional negligence childish are:

• Delay in cognitive and emotional development.
• Affectation to environmental stimuli, which derives in insensitivity and lack of empathy.
• Possibility of developing psychiatric disorders during puberty.
• Risk of future child negligence with their descendants.
• Lack of clear language to transmit your feelings.
• Low self -esteem and difficulty to maintain relationships.
• Dissociative trends and difficulty regulating one's emotions.
• Presence of somatic complaints, such as headache, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, among others.

How to diagnose child emotional negligence

Child emotional negligence is very difficult to diagnose, since, as we mentioned, there are no apparent physical signs. However, Some of the alarm signals are usually:

• In the case of babies, they tend to present their growth delay.
• Infants in preschool age are very closed and do not ask for help when they feel bad emotionally
• Boys and girls turn to tantrums and disruptive behaviors.
• In school age they have many difficulties in relating to other classmates and their self -esteem is very low.
• In adulthood they can develop patterns of abusive or negligent relationships, as well as recurring mood disorders.

In any case, the diagnosis and protocol to follow in cases of child emotional negligence must be given by a mental health professional.

How to treat child emotional negligence

To deal with child emotional negligence and their sequelae, it is essential. Then we show you the most effective strategies for treatment:

• Family therapy: It consists of the family working together to heal their traumas and become a healthier system. This type of therapy offers parents to heal their own wounds and to become the parents who need to be.
• Individual therapy: Adults can contact a therapist to treat child emotional negligence. Similarly, this mental health professional can help the infant to deal with their own feelings and learn to communicate more assertively.
• Support groups: Support groups serve as a communicative channel and help reduce loneliness to recognize and strengthen feelings.

This article is merely informative, in psychology-online we have no power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Child emotional negligence: what is, causes, consequences and how to treat it, We recommend that you enter our category of emotional and behavioral disorders.