Child Abuse: Treating Psychological Wounds Cannot Be Ignored

Dong Xoai City Police took statements from Le Duc Thang - stepfather who abused his ex-wife's stepchild - Photo: AN BINH

Tuoi Tre Online interviewed Dr. Ngo Xuan Diep, Department of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City, about the level of psychological impact on children who are abused so much.

* Reporter : A 9-year-old child who was brutally beaten by his stepfather so many times will have what psychological effects and effects on the child's future development, sir?

- Dr. Ngo Xuan Diep replied: A child being beaten so many times will greatly affect the child's psychology. When beaten like that, the child's first impression of life will not be good. The child will have psychological disturbances. The child will have abnormalities in thinking and acting.

A child who has been abused so much will have great trauma in his memory. A child with such great trauma, when he grows up, will not be able to develop naturally like other normal children.

Often abused children will later solve problems with violence, using violence to work with others.

Likewise, children who are abused so much will not develop psychological resistance later on. They will often be angry, impulsive, lose control, depressed or passive, have low self-esteem, or be disruptive or aggressive. Therefore, a child who is abused so many times needs psychological support.

* What kind of psychological support do children need, sir?

- This child needs to be taken to a children's hospital for psychological support. Only after a clinical examination will doctors know what psychological support is needed for the child.

Without intervention and psychological support, children may have effects on their later development.

* How should the baby be cared for and raised in the future?

- This violence comes from within the family, so the best way is for the child's family to recognize it, take better care of the child, and love the child more. But not every family can recognize it and change immediately.

For families that cannot change, the child needs a good foster care organization.

In my opinion, in this child's case, the family should first take the child to the children's hospital for psychological support, to see if the child is having any difficulties, is he/she in shock, stressed, scared, or panicky...

From there, psychological support measures can be taken so that the child can develop mentally like other normal children. In addition, the law must intervene to prevent this situation from continuing.

* Children who are abused a lot, if not given psychological support, will develop in a bad direction later on?

- In fact, when talking to people living in rehabilitation centers, we know that all of them have "problems" in their families such as being abused, being hated... and then not receiving psychological support. Therefore, taking care of the child's mental health is very important.

For children to develop well, they need to have a peaceful childhood with many beautiful stories, live close to nature, and most importantly, feel the love of those around them, especially from their relatives.

* Thank you sir .

Signs that require immediate medical attention

Doctor Nguyen Minh Tien, deputy director of the City Children's Hospital, said that children who have been repeatedly abused and have the following physical and mental symptoms should be taken to see a doctor immediately.

Physically, the child has pain, cannot move (sprained, broken limbs), headache, vomiting, delirium, impaired consciousness (nervous system damage), labored breathing, difficulty breathing (respiratory system damage), fainting, cold hands and feet (circulatory system damage), severe abdominal pain, bloating (damage to internal organs such as liver, spleen, kidney, pancreas, stomach, duodenum, etc.), the child has bruises and swelling of soft tissue all over the body.

Children with psychological and mental trauma show signs of agitation, screaming in their sleep, depression, panic, confusion, affecting their studies, affecting their daily activities, and making it difficult to integrate into the community...

The abused boy is still being monitored.

Regarding information about the 9-year-old boy who was abused by his stepfather, a representative of Binh Phuoc General Hospital said that the child's mental state is currently stable but is continuing to be monitored at the request of the family.

Regarding the fact that A. was repeatedly abused by his stepfather, a doctor said that it is possible that the boy will suffer psychological trauma. However, a full and specific assessment will require a long period of observation.

"In addition to stopping the abuse, families and teachers should spend more time stabilizing the child's mental state. This will help erase any trauma or trauma the child may have," said the doctor.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tre-bi-bao-hanh-khong-the-bo-qua-viec-dieu-tri-vet-thuong-tam-ly-20240313152325461.htm