Child Maltreatment: Emotional Abuse & Mental Injury defined

Emotional abuse is a separate and distinct form of psychological injury to a child yet there is no consensus among legal and mental health professionals as to its definition. Therefore, having a separate yet contiguous definition facilitates diagnostic accuracy and contributes to better overall treatment modalities. This paper provides a clear and distinct definition for emotional abuse and mental injury in order to facilitate a greater understanding of how to protect children who are psychologically maltreated.