Children's Health

Psychological Abuse of Children May Be Common

Brandi's Story continued...

Now 19, Brandi went public with her story earlier this year in an effort to help make people aware of the importance of reporting abuse and neglect.

Her birth parents were convicted of felony neglect, and she has had no contact with them since she was removed from the home 17 years ago. She was adopted several years later.

She changed her last name from Zachary to that of her adoptive parents. She's on track to complete her undergraduate degree in psychology in two years, despite being legally blind as a result of the neglect she suffered.

"Her story is amazing. And it really does illustrate the importance of speaking up if you suspect abuse," Hibbard says. "Someone who knows or suspects that a child is being neglected has a moral, if not a legal, obligation to report it."

Treating Abused Kids, More Research Needed

It's not clear how many children experience ongoing psychological abuse at the hands of parents or other caregivers. That's because such abuse is widely underreported, the report noted.

In one large study conducted in the U.S. and U.K., about 9% of women and 4% of men reported exposure to severe psychological abuse during childhood.

Other surveys conducted in the U.S. found emotional abuse to be the most frequently reported form of victimization.

The report calls for more research to develop and test effective treatments for children who have experienced psychological abuse, either alone or combined with other forms of abuse.

The report is published in the August issue of Pediatrics.