Currently, many parents commit various forms of violence when raising and educating children, whether consciously or not. Forms of violence that occur in children can be in the form of verbal violence, psychological violence, and physical violence. In fact, this act of violence can affect a child's mental health in the future and has the potential to become an emotional wound that will leave a mark until the child reaches adulthood.
As an effort to prevent the violence against children and in commemoration of International Mind & Body Health Day on January 3, we must understand the five effects ofchild abuse on mental health as follows.
- Difficulty controlling emotions
Child abuse experienced by children will have a huge impact on children's emotional control. After experiencing violence, children will tend to have difficulty controlling their emotions so that it is easier for them to feel sad, angry or excessively afraid. In addition, children will also have difficulty sleeping and have bad dreams. This condition certainly has the potential to last into adulthood and have an impact on the behavior that appears in carrying out daily activities in their social environment. - Make a withdrawal
As victims who experience violence by their parents, children usually tend to have negative thoughts about a problem they face, such as being suspicious and having difficulty trusting other people. This behavior can make it difficult for children to maintain relationships with other people, which can lead to feelings of loneliness. Furthermore, several studies have stated that victims of violence perpetrated by parents against their children have the potential to fail in building love and family relationships. - Panic attacks and depression
Child abuse against children also has a deep traumatic impact on the psychological aspects of children, which can lead to mental problems such as panic attacks or depression. This condition makes if left untreated, it can cause a person to consume prohibited objects such as alcohol and drugs as a form of escape in overcoming the trauma experienced. In addition, the trauma they experience can trigger negative thoughts such as thoughts of ending one's life or suicide. - Potential to be a perpetrator of violence
Victims of violence experienced by children can have a worse impact when they reach adulthood. They are potentially repeating the same things they experienced when they were children. In fact, it often happens, if they become parents someday, they will do the same thing to their children as they did when they were children. This cycle will become a repeated cycle if there is no further appropriate treatment to deal with the trauma that occurs as a result of the violence experienced. - Decreased brain function
Violence experienced by children can have an impact on the structure and development of their brain, so that there will be a decrease in function in several parts of the brain. This decrease in cognitive function results in children having difficulty concentrating and focusing on lessons at school, which has an impact on decreasing academic achievement. This risk has a big impact when you enter old age, namely the emergence of dementia problems.
To avoid violence perpetrated by parents against their children, parents can apply positive parenting for their children (Positive Parenting). The goal of positive parenting is to prevent acts of violence against children, which are carried out in a supportive, constructive, and fun way. However, if you or someone close to you has been a victim of child abuse, causing deep trauma and disrupting activities and changes in behavior, then it is better to seek help from a psychologist or psychiatrist as a form of appropriate treatment to deal with this traumatic experience.
Article written by Dra. Ratu Ade Waznah Sofwat, MPsi, Psi (Psychologist at EMC Pekayon Hospital).