1.Emotional abuse, which is also known as psychological or verbal abuse, is a very common childhood problem, and usually occurs in the family environment by children’s parents.

2.Making a child feel worthless, unloved, alone or scared is emotional abuse, which is also known as psychological or verbal abuse, and parents unconsciously harm their children by emotionally abusing them.

3.Making a child feel worthless, unloved, alone or scared is emotional abuse, and when parents unconsciously harm their children by emotionally abusing them, it affects neurological development of  children.

4.Making a child feel worthless, unloved, alone or scared is emotional abuse, and when parents unconsciously harm their children by emotionally abusing them; it affects neurological development of  children, therefore children may display life-long cognitive problems, which usually are noticed by day-care centers and schools.

5.Making a child feel worthless, unloved, alone or scared is emotional abuse; when parents unconsciously harm their children by emotionally abusing them, especially in early years of life, it affects neurological development of  children. Therefore, children may display life-long cognitive problems, which usually are noticed by day-care centers, schools and health workers.

6.Making a child feel worthless, unloved, alone or scared is emotional abuse; when parents unconsciously harm their children by emotionally abusing them, especially in early years of life, it affects neurological development of  children. Therefore, children may display life-long cognitive problems, which usually are noticed by day-care centers, schools and health workers.

Working hypothesis: Emotional abuse is a common form of parent abusing, and its psychological damage is as severe as physical damage. Parents, too often, unconsciously harm their children by emotionally abusing them, especially in early years of life. It affects neurological development of  children. Therefore, children may display life-long cognitive problems, which usually are noticed by day-care centers, schools and health workers.

Purposeful Summaries:

https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.rowan.edu/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/j.1755-6988.2004.tb00169.x

This article shows us a clear relationship between physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and neglect during childhood and negative impacts in children’s neurological development.  Contrary to what many parents think, emotional abuse is very common and it has the highest harm standard compared to other forms of abuse(Sedlak & Broadhurst, 1996). Yet, it’s difficult to recognize and prove it in a legal manner. Even though most children are emotionally abused by someone, it usually occurs when people unconsciously approach a child, which means that is not necessarily intentional but still harms. This emotional neglect causes problems in development functions across the board.

https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.rowan.edu/docview/1769411205/fulltextPDF/BF977ACD9771495EPQ/1?accountid=13605

This research supports the possibility of children neglect affecting brain functions through the observed groups.

https://jamanetwork-com.ezproxy.rowan.edu/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/1107651

In this study, forty-two adolescents without psychiatric diagnoses were tested. It elaborates different forms of abuse. According to the results, traumatic childhood experiences -including emotional abuse- change brain structures negatively.  The researchers found out that dorsolateral, orbitofrontal, and subgenual prefrontal cortices, striatum, amygdala, hippocampus, and cerebellum were influenced and these influences were associated with emotional neglect. 

https://primo.rowan.edu/permalink/01ROWU_INST/ttegd8/cdi_gale_infotracacademiconefile_A89582045

This study’s objective was to highlight the negative effects of emotional abuse in childhood. However, the datas showed that compared to physically abused children, neglected children have more severe cognitive and academic deficits, social withdrawal and limited peer interactions, and internalizing (as opposed to externalizing) problems. Emotionally neglected children’s performance was considered low compared to other children who were emotionally stable. The researchers also found that neglected children were more likely to be angry and inpatient.

https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article/file?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001349&type=printable

This article claims that all forms of abuse should be considered risky as they impact maltreated children’s life constantly. 

Current State of Research Paper: it’s easy to find resources for my hypothesis and so far I enjoyed working on it. Yet, researches related to my topic are mostly realized with adults. As child emotional abuse and its consequences are a new matter compared to other themes in psychology such as depression and the neurological damage usually shows up in following years, I couldn’t define an age range. I’m trying to find more resources that would allow me to focus on children from 0-6 years of age.