What are some other consequences of child maltreatment?
A. The effects of child abuse and neglect can be devastating. A growing body of evidence suggests the experience of abuse and neglect inhibits a child’s healthy psychological, emotional, cognitive, and social development and can impair adult functioning. As they get older, children who have been abused and neglected are more likely to perform poorly in school, commit crimes, and experience emotional problems, sexual problems, and alcohol/substance abuse. Research indicates that adult women who have experienced physical or sexual abuse as children show exaggerated levels of stress hormones. This persistent change in the body increases the risk of psychopathological conditions. Negative effects of abuse and neglect can be reversed, but timely identification of the maltreatment, and appropriate intervention, are necessary.
