Neglect or abuse harms brains

New research from DoCS' Specialist Psychologist Services Unit has identified that 'neglect and sexual abuse can have the same impact on a child's mental development as brain injury'.

Prolonged abuse or neglect leads to more than just psychological trauma and physical pain. It can cause learning difficulties and language problems. These may be obvious, like learning to talk much later - or less obvious, such as an ongoing problem with comprehension, or understanding what is being said.

Research is now showing a difference in brain function and structure in children who have a history of trauma. There is plenty of research into early brain development for infants and children. In the first three years of life, millions of connections between brain cells are made, and the brain of a three year old is twice as active as that of an adult. Bring external stress into that and it is not surprising that development will slow and change. The issue is that the change may well be permanent. The brain will become hard wired in a particular way. That may have far reaching implications for the child in relation to learning, relating and communicating. 

Importantly, the reports caution those dealing with children with such a history not to interpret their behaviour as disobedience or laziness. It notes that the behaviour may well escalate as the child gets older, not improve. The point is it is not a behavioural issue. Like a brain injury, some form of 'rehabilitation' may be required.

This is critically important to carers, and it would be nice to see some more formal guidance and education flowing through from DoCS and private agencies. While the report notes that the objective should be to prevent abuse and neglect, the reality is that there will be children who need care and remediation.