Third of SA children under age of 17 suffer emotional abuse and neglect

SOUTH African children under the age 17 are suffering from mental illness and neglect, mostly attributed to exposure to domestic violence and overprotection.

According to South African Society of Psychiatrists (Sasop), the problem constitutes one of the most hazardous effects on children and could end up affecting their sense of self.

Due to mental illness children are likely to bear invisible scars that limit their chances of a fulfilling and functional adult life, according to the organisation.

Sasop said survivors of domestic violence may take longer to recover from emotional abuse than from physical abuse.

Spokesperson Dr Eugene Allers said: “It relates to the development of self-esteem, obviously that is developed through achievement or praise for what is achieved.”

He said children needed to be rewarded for their achievements as a way to boost their self-esteem.

“When children are neglected or overprotected they focus on avoiding abuse or dealing with the anxiety that goes with the abuse instead of dealing with finding themselves and achieving, and leaves them with poor self-esteem and poor sense of self,” he said.

Allers said the impact on children’s future mental health was substantial, with a third of all psychiatric disorders originating before the age of 14 and half before 18 years.

He said the reason that emotional abuse received less attention and awareness was because physical and sexual abuse were usually easy to define.

Emotional abuse, he said, was difficult because it was a much more abstract concept. “Emotional abuse is often ill-defined and not clearly defined and therefore people also avoid speaking about it,” he said.

He said several studies had proven that when a child was emotionally abused, such behaviour caused more adverse effects in terms of long-term psychological or psychic problems.

People, he said, could prevent this form of abuse from happening by being knowledgeable.

“We must be aware of it (because) once people are aware that emotional abuse is so detrimental we will have the policy and ways of dealing with it through the health systems, social systems and the legal systems,” he said.