Question

What is Maltreatment of a child, explain it and how does it affect the child throughout life?  

Answer 1

Maltreatment refers to any kind of harm caused to a child, be it emotional or physical. Sexual abuse, neglect, emotional ill-treatment and physical abuse are a few forms of maltreatment. Maltreatment can be directed towards the child by anyone, it could be a parent, friend, relative, neighbor and etcetera. However, maltreatment during childhood has repercussions that the child has to deal throughout his life. For instance, a child who is unaware of sexual abuse, is lured into performing sexual acts on her uncle would have to live through this trauma all her life. This would leave the child filled with aggression which is first repressed in the unconscious mind, however, in the later years of life, this latent aggression would sprout and make aggression, this person's personality trait. Maltreatment could also lead to emotional un-stability. A person could suffer from depressive episodes or Borderline Personality disorder. Maltreatment would majorly shape a person's adult personality which could mostly be negative.