Psychological maltreatment may be defined as the psychological consequences of patterns of behavior by a caregiver involving rejecting, isolating, threatening, ignoring, exposing to negative influences, refusal of services, emotional or behavioral problems of the child, domestic violence, parental/caregiver relations, and/or caregiver capacity concerns, whether through acts of omission or commission. These acts are judged by a mixture of community values and professional expertise to be inappropriate or damaging.

In North Dakota, psychological maltreatment is contained in the definition of child neglect. “Neglected Child” is legally defined under the definition of “Deprived Child” in the Uniform Juvenile Court Act (NDCC Chapter 27-20-02(8)), which states that a deprived child is “without proper parental care or control, subsistence, education as required by law, or other care or control necessary for the child's physical, mental, or emotional health (emphasis added), or morals, and the deprivation is not due primarily to the lack of financial means of the child's parents, guardian, or other custodian”.

Rejecting is when the caregiver is refusing to acknowledge the child’s worth and the legitimacy of the child’s needs. Examples include:

• The caregiver consistently singles out one child to scapegoat, criticize, or punish, to perform most of the household chores or receive fewer awards of praise;
• The caregiver has consistent unrealistic expectations of achievement for the child that are shown by the caregiver’s criticizing, punishing, or condemning when the child does not achieve far above capabilities in school, sports, or social status;
• The caregiver regularly denigrates and belittles the child, stating that the child is different and unacceptable, or that the child reminds everyone of a person who is totally unacceptable by the family;
• The caregiver doesn’t allow the children physical contact, nurturing;
• Child’s faults and shortcomings are clearly overemphasized, criticism/disapproval disproportional to actual behavior or used in an unfair and inconsistent way – excessive; or
• Caregiver uses excessive threats of punishment in an attempt to control the child.

Isolating is when the caregiver cuts the child off from normal social experiences, prevents the child from forming friendships, and/or makes the child believe that he or she is alone in the world. Examples include:

• Punishment doesn’t fit the behavior or is inconsistent; or
• The caregiver makes inappropriate demands on or exploits the child.

Threatening is when the caregiver verbally assaults the child, creates a climate of fear, bullies, or frightens the child. Examples include:

• Sensory deprivation or placement in a frightening situation (i.e., in the dark, etc); or
• Direct or indirect verbal threats of abuse or harm that, if carried out, could result in physical or emotional harm.

Ignoring is when the caregiver deprives the child of essential interaction and responsiveness, stifling emotional growth and intellectual development. Examples include:

• Caregiver shows no attachment to the child and fails to provide nurturance;
• The caregiver expresses no affection toward the child and avoids all physical closeness such as hugging, touching, or holding;
• There is a lack of discipline/rules; or
• The caregiver is inattentive, indifferent – there is little stimulation offered in the home.

Negative Influences are when the caregiver “mis-socializes” the child, encourages the child to engage in destructive antisocial behavior, and/or illegal activities (such as gang behavior), and makes it difficult for the child to have normal social experiences. Examples include:

• The caregiver exposes the child to maladaptive and harmful influences or illegal activities, permits or forces the child to engage in the same;
• The caregiver exposes the child to pornographic material; or
• The caregiver exposes the child to adult sexual activity.

Refusal of Services by a caregiver to a psychologically/emotionally impaired child (i.e., a child at risk for suicide, a child who misuses chemicals) is a concern. Examples include:

• The caregiver fails to follow through with a referral from a professional and that failure results in increased risk to a child; or
• A caregiver fails to follow through with a referral for evaluation or treatment for a child who is reported to have been sexually abused or is reported to have been sexually abusing other children.

Emotional or behavioral problems of the child, which can be correlated to the caregiver’s behavior, may be psychological maltreatment. Examples include:

• The caregiver provides no stability or security for the child in as much as expectations are unpredictable and change frequently;
• Rigid requirements vs. an indifference to appropriate behavioral standards;
• Unrealistic expectations for behavior – without an understanding of age-appropriate behaviors;
• Child punished for being unable to comply with demands; or
• Caregiver exposes child to abusive third parties or fails to take steps to stop repeated abuse by third parties.

Domestic Violence is when children are exposed to domestic violence (adults hitting each other or the threat of physical violence). Children may be put in the position of feeling responsible to protect themselves or the adult being abused. Examples include:

• Child is physically involved in a domestic dispute;
• Child is in the area creating possibility of injury to the child;
• Child is verbally threatened by one or more adult family member(s)/caregiver(s) during a domestic abuse event;
• Child is aware of the domestic violence; or
• A firearm or other weapon is used during a domestic dispute and the child is present.

Parental/Caregiver Relations may be a concern when children are continually being placed in the middle of custody and visitation disputes between their caregivers, being asked to choose sides, or caregivers degrade each other in front of the children. Examples include:

• Children who are frequently uprooted or whose custody is unclear or constantly changing; or
• Children drawn into arguments between caregivers.

Caregiver Capacity Concerns may also affect a child’s safety. Examples include:

• Children who are living in environments where one or both of the caregivers are actively chemically addicted;
• Caregivers who suffer from a mental illness, mental retardation, or physical handicaps that limit their ability to protect their children because of their impairment, not through a lack of will, and this impairment results in increased risk of harm to the child; or
• Children, whose caregivers cannot provide the protection and supervision basic to keep them safe, are exposed to situations in which they may be exploited, molested, injured, and/or neglected. (These children live with the fear that if they are exposed to harm their caregivers won’t be able to help them.)

NOTE: More information on psychological maltreatment can be found in “The Psychologically Battered Child” written by James Garbarino, Edna Guttman, and Janis Wilson Seely. Psychological maltreatment should also be considered as a component/consequence of other forms of maltreatment (i.e., physical abuse and neglect, sexual abuse). On page 8 of “The Psychologically Battered Child”, it states “rarely does one form of maltreatment occur alone (physical abuse without psychological abuse; sexual assault in the absence of emotional threat). When one form of maltreatment does exist in isolation of others, it is likely to be psychological in nature. Rarely, if ever, does a child experience physical abuse or neglect, or sexual assault or exploitation, in a relationship that is positive and nurturing.”