Child Maltreatment: A Developmental Psychopathology Approach

Child maltreatment has enormous costs, both at the individual and the societal level. Today, thanks to increased knowledge and awareness, we are better equipped than ever to prevent the trauma of child abuse and to intervene to help maltreated children. Yet, fundamental questions remain. How and why does normal development go awry in maltreated children? Why are some children more affected than others, and what are the processes that promote or undermine resilience? How can clinicians and child protection professionals help neglected and abused children and their families in the most timely and effective manner? This book explains the science of developmental psychopathology for clinicians and others who work with maltreated children and those at risk. The authors focus on how maltreatment differentially affects children at key stages of their lives, ranging from infancy to early adulthood, so that clinicians can be aware of age-specific vulnerabilities and look beyond immediate presenting problems to better understand the needs and experiences of their young clients.