Abuse and Neglect during Child Hood and what problems it could cause.

Hello Again,

Day 3 of my blog!!!!

Today I decided to write about something very important to me, I am sorta hoping to explain what got me into my life of crime and some of the mental illnesses I have. I am not making excuses for my behavior, but I am trying to show another side to the story.

I am going to tell my story which I have really gotten use to saying because of all I do.

I will say no names and for those that get brought up please do not take offence. None ment.

My mother was 17 when she had me, and was somewhat of a rebel, my father that raised me was not a very good man, I love him and all but the things that happen in life growing up was not right. At the age of five i was molested my 3 different people, two will not admit to it, but i and God knows. When i was five is when all the problems started.

My father as i call him started beating me, sometime very badly, i was emotionally abused, mentally, pretty much any type of abuse you can think of happen. My mother gave me up when i was a baby, to the guy she thought was my dad, and so i felt abondond when i found this out, no letters, no presents, no calls, no nothing. I thought everyone hated me.

Well now let me tell you how my life of crime started. The first time I got into trouble was when i started my bed on fire, then i started stealing, i started all this because i did not feel safe, jail was a safe place to be. i couldnt be hurt there. Well when i get out and even when i was in one of the abuses started back up, this ruined my mind, and made me think that i was nothing but a criminal, that i would never amount to anything and i believed that for many years.

Now I want to show you what the professionals say to this, i know my story doesnt say much but its enough in my mind to get the point across for the rest of the blog. But here is the info- some of this is coming off the website for Department of Health and  Human Services.

Behavioral Consequences

Not all victims of child abuse and neglect will experience behavioral consequences. However, behavioral problems appear to be more likely among this group, even at a young age. An NSCAW survey of children ages 3 to 5 in foster care found these children displayed clinical or borderline levels of behavioral problems at a rate of more than twice that of the general population (ACF, 2004b). Later in life, child abuse and neglect appear to make the following more likely:

Difficulties during adolescence. Studies have found abused and neglected children to be at least 25 percent more likely to experience problems such as delinquency, teen pregnancy, low academic achievement, drug use, and mental health problems (Kelley, Thornberry, & Smith, 1997). Other studies suggest that abused or neglected children are more likely to engage in sexual risk-taking as they reach adolescence, thereby increasing their chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease (Johnson, Rew, & Sternglanz, 2006).

Juvenile delinquency and adult criminality. According to a National Institute of Justice study, abused and neglected children were 11 times more likely to be arrested for criminal behavior as a juvenile, 2.7 times more likely to be arrested for violent and criminal behavior as an adult, and 3.1 times more likely to be arrested for one of many forms of violent crime (juvenile or adult) (English, Widom, & Brandford, 2004).

Alcohol and other drug abuse. Research consistently reflects an increased likelihood that abused and neglected children will smoke cigarettes, abuse alcohol, or take illicit drugs during their lifetime (Dube et al., 2001). According to a report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, as many as two-thirds of people in drug treatment programs reported being abused as children (Swan, 1998).

Abusive behavior. Abusive parents often have experienced abuse during their own childhoods. It is estimated approximately one-third of abused and neglected children will eventually victimize their own children (Prevent Child Abuse New York, 2003).

Psychological Consequences

The immediate emotional effects of abuse and neglect—isolation, fear, and an inability to trust—can translate into lifelong consequences, including low self-esteem, depression, and relationship difficulties. Researchers have identified links between child abuse and neglect and the following:

Difficulties during infancy. Depression and withdrawal symptoms were common among children as young as 3 who experienced emotional, physical, or environmental neglect. (Dubowitz, Papas, Black, & Starr, 2002).

Poor mental and emotional health. In one long-term study, as many as 80 percent of young adults who had been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder at age 21. These young adults exhibited many problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide attempts (Silverman, Reinherz, & Giaconia, 1996). Other psychological and emotional conditions associated with abuse and neglect include panic disorder, dissociative disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, anger, posttraumatic stress disorder, and reactive attachment disorder (Teicher, 2000; De Bellis & Thomas, 2003; Springer, Sheridan, Kuo, & Carnes, 2007).

Cognitive difficulties. NSCAW found that children placed in out-of-home care due to abuse or neglect tended to score lower than the general population on measures of cognitive capacity, language development, and academic achievement (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). A 1999 LONGSCAN study also found a relationship between substantiated child maltreatment and poor academic performance and classroom functioning for school-age children (Zolotor, Kotch, Dufort, Winsor, & Catellier, 1999).

Social difficulties. Children who experience rejection or neglect are more likely to develop antisocial traits as they grow up. Parental neglect is also associated with borderline personality disorders and violent behavior (Schore, 2003).

Societal Consequences

While child abuse and neglect almost always occur within the family, the impact does not end there. Society as a whole pays a price for child abuse and neglect, in terms of both direct and indirect costs.

Direct costs. Direct costs include those associated with maintaining a child welfare system to investigate and respond to allegations of child abuse and neglect, as well as expenditures by the judicial, law enforcement, health, and mental health systems. A 2001 report by Prevent Child Abuse America estimates these costs at $24 billion per year.

Indirect costs. Indirect costs represent the long-term economic consequences of child abuse and neglect. These include costs associated with juvenile and adult criminal activity, mental illness, substance abuse, and domestic violence. They can also include loss of productivity due to unemployment and underemployment, the cost of special education services, and increased use of the health care system. Prevent Child Abuse America estimated these costs at more than $69 billion per year (2001).

This is just stuff off of one website, there are many more sites out there to back it up.


I am writing this because i want you to think before you judge someone for the way they act or because they are a criminal, or even because they are different then the society norm, think about what got them to where they are and why they act the way they do. This info here is just a small part there is also research out saying it is also partly hereditary. So we as society need to really think about this and what we can do to help those with that kind of past in order to make our community a better place.

Remember We Are All People.

Dustin P.