ESSAY Brain Development of Abused Children - Running head...

Running head: DEVELOPMENT OF ABUSED CHILDREN AS THEY AGE 1
Development of Abused Children as They Age
Developmental Psychology
February 18, 2014

Running head: DEVELOPMENT OF ABUSED CHILDREN AS THEY AGE 1
“It was dark in the cold room. I lay on a bare, dirty mattress that hurt my back. I’m not
allowed to have nice blankets like I see at other houses. Mommy says that I’m a naughty girl that
doesn’t deserve those. My friend Amy has a pretty pink blanket with purple sheets. Mommy said
I would never have those things. I wait for my eyes to adjust and look around. There are holes in
the walls from where mommy and daddy get mad. The floor is dirty again. I never clean it well
enough. It’s really cold in my room. The window is broken from when mommy got mad at my
big brother. He cut his arm really bad. I cried and got yelled at. He was trying to protect me when
he went through the window. Mommy wouldn’t take him to the doctor. She said he wasn’t worth
the money so she poured peroxide on it and made him scream. Then she took a long white
bandage and tied it around his arm. But he got punished because he got it dirty the next day. I
walk to my dresser and find a long shirt. I love this shirt because it’s my favorite. My grandma
sent it to me for my birthday last year. It’s beautiful and pink with hearts on it. It feels really tight
on me now, but I still love it. I put it on over my t-shirt and underwear to keep me warm. I’m still
very cold. I go to the closet and find the Barbie box. I can’t have the Barbie toy unless the other
kids are here. Mommy says it’s for the daycare kids and I’m too naughty to play with it. It’s a big
box. I keep my old toys in it so that I don’t make a mess and make mommy mad. I sometimes
use the box to crawl in when I’m cold. It keeps me warmer if I’m in the closet. I wish mommy
would be nice to me like she is to the daycare kids. I’m not sure why I woke up but I know what
will happen next. I hear the yelling start. Mommy and daddy are drunk again. And I know that
means they were using the needles that are in their room.”
One does not understand the severe emotional and physical abuse that some children
undergo in their early life or how it will impact those children as they grow. How will these
children respond to hostility later in their life? How will they cope with their past? How do

Running head: DEVELOPMENT OF ABUSED CHILDREN AS THEY AGE 1
they cope with their present? We will cover the child’s regulation of attention in response to
hostility as well as how intimate partner violence affects the child. The exploration and
validation of clusters of physically abused children will also be discussed. Basic consumer health
information about child neglect and the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse of children,
featuring facts about risk factors, prevention initiatives, reporting requirements, legal
interventions, child protective services, and therapy options to help those that are in a situation of
abuse and want help. The longitudinal study of self-regulation, positive parenting, and