Impact on Child Development

Child maltreatment (child abuse or neglect) during infancy and early childhood has been shown to negatively affect child development, including brain and cognitive development, and can have lasting effects. Abuse and neglect also affect children and youth’s social and emotional development, causing a host of problems with lifelong consequences. The following resources explain the physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal impacts of child abuse and neglect. 

Brain/cognitive development

Center on the Developing Child
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2020)
Publishes and links to research on early brain development, learning, and behavior. The website includes resources related to neglect and toxic stress and the resulting impact on child development.

ChildTrauma Academy
Offers online courses, trainings, and other resources on early brain development and the impact of maltreatment.

Complex Trauma
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Provides information on the physical and cognitive effects of complex trauma as well as its impact on attachment and relationships, emotional responses, behavior, and long-term health.

Understanding the Effects of Maltreatment on Brain Development
Series Title Issue Briefs
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2015
Provides basic information on brain development and the effects of abuse and neglect on that development. The information is designed to help professionals understand the emotional, mental, and behavioral impact of early abuse and neglect in children who come to the attention of the child welfare system.

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Social and emotional development

Factors That Influence Children’s Social and Emotional Development
Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation at Georgetown University
Discusses environmental, family, and child factors that work in tandem to affect emotional development.

Understanding Attachment
Attachment and Trauma Network, Inc. (2020)
Defines the diagnostic criteria for attachment disorders that commonly occur following child abuse and neglect.

What Do We Know About Social and Emotional Development in Early Childhood?
The Urban Child Institute (2020)
Presents information about the ecological systems contributing to social and emotional development in childhood as well as key milestones in the developmental process. 

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Academic achievement

Blue Knot Foundation Resources
Blue Knot Foundation (2020)
Focuses on the physical and emotional consequences of child abuse, with specific emphasis on its long-term consequences in adolescence.

Child Maltreatment and Academic Performance (PDF - 1,270 KB)
Jacob & Ryan (2018)
University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab & Child and Adolescent Data Lab
Presents key findings about the relationship between child protective services investigations and academic achievement, including the influence of moderators like poverty.

How Child Abuse Affects Academic Achievement
Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children, CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County (2015)
Discusses the specific mechanisms through which child abuse and neglect affect academic achievement, as well as the role of school professionals and State legislators in addressing the achievement gap.

Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect
Series Title Factsheets
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Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2019
Explains the long-term physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences of child abuse and neglect and provides an overview of adverse childhood experiences. It also discusses the importance of prevention and intervention efforts and promoting protective relationships and environments. Childhood maltreatment can be linked to later physical, psychological, and behavioral consequences as well as costs to society as a whole. The outcomes for each child may vary widely and are affected by a combination of factors. Additionally, children who experience maltreatment often are affected by other adverse experiences (e.g., parental substance use, domestic violence, poverty), which can make it difficult to separate the unique effects of maltreatment.

School Personnel
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Provides a range of resources on how age and development at the time of trauma affect the behavioral manifestations of child maltreatment in school settings.

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