2. Myths & Facts about Child Abuse
MYTH: Men sexually abuse children as they cannot control their
sexual urge.
FACT: Sexual assaults are committed by people in a position of
power and trust.
MYTH: Sexual assaults are instinctive acts committed by
strangers.
FACT: Most sexual assaults are premeditated acts of aggression
committed by trusted people.
MYTH: Children invite abuse by the way they dress.
FACT: Sexual abuse happens irrespective of the way the children
dress.
3. Myths & Facts about Child Abuse
• MYTH: Culturally, children obey elders and don't say "No" to adult's
unnatural act.
• FACT: Child needs to be empowered to be able to speak out irrespective
of cultural background.
• MYTH: Children have vivid imagination and lie often when they speak of
being abused.
• FACT: Children lack the language or understanding to "make up stories"
of the abuse.
• MYTH: It is fine to promise the child confidentiality and bury the issue
when he or she confides in you.
• FACT: Abuse should be immediately dealt with and medical opinion
should be sought if it's a serious case.
4. About the Emotional Abuse
• This is no worldwide standard definition of
emotional abuse. Emotional abuse can be
described as the "willful destruction of significant
impairment of a child's competence" (Pacer, 1990).
• The types usually include rejecting, ignoring,
isolating, terrorizing, corrupting and exploiting.
• It is hard to detect, assess and substantiate since
many cases of emotional abuse are unreported.
5. Types of Emotional abuse
• Rejecting: Putting down a child or youth's worth or putting
down their needs.
• Ignoring: Failing to give any response to or interact with a child
or youth at all.
• Isolating: Keeping a child away from family and friends.
• Terrorizing: Causing a child or youth to be terrified by the
constant use of threats and/or intimidating behavior.
• Corrupting : Encouraging a child or youth to do things that are
illegal or harmful to themselves.
• Exploiting: Giving a child or youth responsibilities that are far
greater than a child/youth that age can handle. It is also using
a child for profit.
6. Symptoms of Emotional Abuse
• name-calling
• yelling at the child
• not allowing child interaction with
others
• failure to protect child
• rewarding child for inappropriate
behavior
• expecting youth to make money for
family
• verbal humiliation and constant teasing
7. Impact of Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse of children can result in serious emotional
and/or behavioral problems, low cognitive ability level, and
poor social skills. For example:
• lifelong depression
• estrangement
• low self-esteem
• difficulties in appropriate relationship
• lack of empathy
• emotional instability
• aggression
• difficult to trust
8. Causal Factors
• family stresses: unemployment, poverty,
isolation from relatives and friends,
divorce, death, immature parents
• diminished capacity for understanding
children’s needs and feelings
• health issues: illness of a family member,
disability of a family member, drug and
alcohol abuse
• mental problems: mental disability,
depression
9. Prevention Strategies
• observing children carefully for potential signs
• taking action immediately when suspecting
• increasing awareness and education of emotional
child abuse in the community and among parents
• encouraging parents to establish strong attachment
with children
• encouraging family to form relationship with support
systems
• more researching in this field
