Childhood Neglect and the Impact of Invalidation

a post by Rebecca Lee for the World of Psychology blog



What happens when “nothing” happens? A lot. Childhood and adolescent neglect can have a profound and lasting impact on adults. Unlike sexual and physical abuse, some may find it difficult to understand the impact that absence had on their life. While neglect is a form of abuse, since the “action” of the crime is the lack thereof, identifying the problem may be tricky.

What is neglect?

• Failure to provide basic needs such as food, supervision, and shelter
• Allowing a child to use alcohol or drugs
• Failure to educate a child/provide schooling
• Failure to provide medical attention

Aside from basic survival, one need that frequently arises when a parent is not physically or emotionally available, is the need to be validated. When there is no one around, how does a child know they “count”? How do they know their feelings matter or if they even exist?

Continue reading

---