Psychological maltreatment: An operationalized definition and path toward application

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Work

Background:

• Psychological maltreatment (PM) in children lacks consistent definition and operationalization.
• This ambiguity leads to under-recognition and under-addressing by various professional and systemic bodies.
• Existing challenges hinder effective intervention for children with mental health, behavioral, and developmental issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an overarching and operationalized definition of child psychological maltreatment.
• To support consistent, fair, and unbiased application of the definition in applied contexts.
• To enhance the recognition and addressing of child PM by professionals and systems.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel, overarching definition for child psychological maltreatment.
• Operationalization of the definition to delineate caregiver acts and impact levels.
• Detailed rationale and discussion of implementation requirements.

Main Results:

• A proposed definition that specifies the nature of caregiver acts constituting PM.
• Criteria for experienced and potential impact to define PM.
• Identification of necessary training and systems for consistent application.

Conclusions:

• The proposed definition has the potential to significantly improve systems' ability to identify and address child PM.
• Consistent application can enhance children's and families' overall well-being.
• Field trials are recommended to establish the utility and refine the definition.