Introduction
Purpose of the study
The purpose of the study is to analyze the predicament of emotional abuse on children and evaluate results in order to come up with relevant solutions to curb the problem.
Significance of the study
The research will be directed towards understanding the nature, prevalence and consequences of psychological maltreatment and possible techniques upon diagnosis.
Organization of the paper
The thesis commences with the analysis of the problem at hand which in our study shall be the research of emotional abuse and children. The purpose and significance of the study will shape the study in finding the results and help to analyze psychological maltreatment as a specific and not as a function of the other forms of maltreatments. The methods and guidelines of the study are analyzed in the methodology chapter.Arguments and conflicts arising are presented in the literature review starting from the stronger to the weaker points. Subsequent reconciliation is made in the same chapter to draw the audience to a common ground. The conclusion of the thesis shall entail the assumptions and limitations expected in the course of the study.
Methodology
The research design
The research will employ a survey kind f research design where data will be collected primarily from respondents. This will ensure reliability and accuracy of data collected for study purposes.
Sampling and sample size
Sampling respondents will comprise of caretakers and parents of children, students from colleges and adults who’ve had exhibited behaviors of psychological maltreatment. Sampling shall be random to avoid bias. Sample size shall constitute; 30 caretakers and parents, 20 adults with history of psychological trauma and 50 college students. This will ensure a uniform geographical coverage representing the total populace and acquisition of relevant data. Gender selection shall be on a 50-50 basis to prevent bias in study.
Research tools
Research tools employed shall include; questionnaires, assigning of research administrators and interviewers who will conduct hand on interviews on adults who have had psychological trauma.
Administration of research tools
Some questionnaires will be distributed by the research administers while others will be assigned to a number college staff to distribute. Interviews will be carried out on the caregivers and parents to ensure delivery of precise and accurate information as interviewers will be able to make observations and draw meaningful conclusions. (Bartholomew, p. 230)
Literature review
Relevant theories of study and arguments arising
The research will incorporate secondary sources of study in order to make comparisons with the primary data acquired in the study process. The study will analyze various views given by researchers on the factors causing emotional abuse (McDonald, 2007; Behura, 2011), the prevalence and consequences of psychological maltreatment (Straus & Field, 2003; Briere & Runtz, 1988, 1990; O’Hagan, 1995). Severity of the effects shall be broadly discussed (Solomon & Serres, 1999; Vissing, Straus, Gelles, & Harrop, 1991; Browne & Herbert, 1997). It will be relevant to discuss the behavior exhibited by victims for future diagnosis and subsequent management (Malik & Gul, 2007; Anderson et al., 2002; Schneider, Baumrind, & Kimerling, 2007).
The research therefore shall explore the findings of other emotional abuse researchers to evaluate why they have not had succeeded in curbing the problem of psychological maltreatment in children (Pittman & Lee, 2004). This will include searches by: Azar et al.,1984; Bauer & Twentyman,1985; Bousha & Twentyman, 1984; Disbrow et al., 1977; Friedrich et al., 1985; Hansen et al., 1989 and Twentyman & Plotkin, 1982. Researchers arguments evident in the study will be analyzed broadly and relevant comparisons made since many have differed on their findings and conclusions.
Conflicts realized in the study theories and reconciliations to be effected
Different victims of emotional abuse adjust differently to survive the adverse effects. The research shall compare the theories of (Jumper, 1995; Cook, 1991) and make clear distinctions on theories formulated by (Sansone, Gaither & Songer, 2002; Gibb et Al., 2000) and (Rosenstein & Horowitz, 1996), on the psychological adjustments of victims of emotional abuse (Higgins, 2004; Showers, Zeigler-Hill, & Limke, 2006). The research shall also include the study of reconciliation of the conflicts arising from the researchers’ views in order to arrive at a common ground (Elmer & Gregg, 2002) and hence be able to analyze possible solutions to the problem of emotional abuse on children (Finkelhor, 2009), ( Damant, 2009). or instance the research shall explore the cluster analysis that has been used with implications for understanding risk factors and differential treatment strategies. These include Rape (Knight, 1999), Schizophrenia (Catalano, 1999), Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (Calamari, Wiegarz, & Janeck, 1999), and adherence to exercise behavior (Godon, Valois, & Deshanairs, 2001).
Conclusion
It is assumed that the sample is an actual representation of the actual populace. During the study it will be assumed that questionnaires distributed by staff will be filled in with sincerity and within stipulated time frame. It will also be assumed that respondents give unambiguous information. Time management might be one of the greatest challenges of the study since respondents may not be willing to cooperate. Some respondents may give irrelevant and false information reducing the quality of study information.
References
Anderson, P. L., Tiro, A. J., Price, W. A., Bender, M. A., & Kaslow, N. J. (2002). Additive Impact of Childhood Emotional, Physical and Sexual Abuse on Suicide. New York: Sage.
Azar, S. T., Robinson, D. R., Hekimian, E., & Twentyman, C. T. (1984).
Unrealistic expectations and problem-solving ability in maltreatment and Comparison mothers. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 687– 691.
Bartholomew, K. & Horowitz, L.M. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A Test for a Four- category model. Journal of personality and social psychology, 61,226-244.
Bauer, W. D., & Twentyman, C. T. (1985). Abusing, neglectful, and comparison: Mothers’ responses to child-related and non-child-related stressors. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 335–343
Behura, S. (2011). A psychosocial approach to the study of child abuse. 27(2), 301- 311
Bousha, D. M., & Twentyman, C. T. (1984). Mother-child interactional style in abuse, neglect, and control groups: Naturalistic observations in the home. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 93, 106–114
Briere, J. N., & Runtz, M. (1990). Differential adult symptom associated with three Types of child abuse histories. Child Abuse and Neglect, 14, 357-364
Calamari, J. E., Wiegartz, P. S., & Janeck, A. S. (1999). Obsessive compulsive disorder subgroups: A symptom- based clustering approach. Behavior research and therapy, 37,113-125.
Catalano, J.A. (1999). Using multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis for understanding information procession and schizophrenia. Genetic, social, and general psychology monographs, 125, 313-328.
Damant, D. (2009) Women’s Abuse of their children in context on domestic violence: Reflection from women’s account. Child and Family Social work, 15, 12-21.
Disbrow, M. A., Doerr, H., & Caulfield, C. (1977). Measuring the components of parents’ potential for child abuse and neglect. Child Abuse and Neglect, 1, 279– 296.
Elmer, E., & Gregg, G. S. (1967). Developmental characteristics of abused Children. Journal of Pediatrics, 40, 596-602.
Finkelhor, D. (2009) the prevention of childhood sexual abuse: The future of children 19(2), 169-194).
Friedrich, W. N., Tyler, J. D., & Clark, J. A. (1985). Personality and psychological variables in abusive, neglectful, and low-income control mothers. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 173, 449–460.
Gaither, A. G, Sansone, R. A., Songer, A. D. (2002). The relationships among childhood abuse, borderline personality and self- harm behavior in psychiatric in- patients. Violence and victims 17(1).
Gibb, B. E., Alloy, L. B., Abrahamson, L.Y., Rose, D.T., Whitehouse, W.G., & Donovan, et al. (2000). History of childhood maltreatment. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 25, 425- 446.
Godin, G., Valois, P., & Deshanairs, R. (2001). A topology of stages of adherence to exercise behavior: A cluster analysis of applied social psychology, 31, 979-994.
Gul, A., & Malik, F. (2007). Behavioral and emotional problems in abused and non- abused children in a Pakistan Cohort. Pakistan journal of psychological research, 259 (2), 179- 202.
Hansen, D. J., Pallotta, G. M., Tishelman, A. C., Conaway, L. P., & MacMillan, V. M. (1989). Parental problem-solving skills and child behavior problems: A comparison of physically abusive, neglectful, clinic, and community families. Journal of Family Violence, 4, 353–368.
Higgins, D. J. (2004). The importance of degree versus type of maltreatment: A cluster analysis of child abuse types. Journal of psychology, 138 (4), 303-324.
Jumper, S. (1995). A meta-analysis of relationship of child sexual abuse to adult psychological adjustment. Child Abuse and Neglect, 19, 715-728.
Knight, R. A. (1999). Validation of a topology for rapists. Journal of interpersonal violence, 14, 303-330.
Limke, A., Showers, J.C., & Zeigler- Hill, V. (2006). Emotional and sexual maltreatment: Anxious attachment mediates psychological adjustment. London: Wager.
Mcdonald, K. C. (2007). Child Abuse: Approach and management. American Academy Family Physician, 75,221-228.
O’Hagan, K. P. (1995). Emotional and psychological abuse: Problems of definition. Child Abuse and Neglect, 19,441-461.
Pittman, J. F., & Lee, C. S. (2004). Comparing different types of child abuse and spouse abuse offenders. Violence and victims, 19(20).
Schneider, B., Baumrind, N., & Kimerling, N. (2007). Exposure to child abuse and risk for mental health problems in women. Violence and victims, 4 (22), 9-7.
Straus, M. A., & Field, C.J., (2003). Psychological aggression by American parents: National data on prevalence, chronicity and severity. Journal of marriage and family, 65 (4), 795
Twentyman, C. T., & Plotkin, R. C. (1982). Unrealistic expectations of parents who maltreat their children: An educational deficit that pertains to child development. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38, 497–503.