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Emotional neglect and emotional abuse in pre-school children: Core info leaflet

Topics: Early years

How to identify children under 6 years who may have been emotionally abused or neglected

This leaflet summarises what is currently known about the behaviour that can be observed in young children who have been emotionally abused or emotionally neglected. It also considers the interactions between these children and their parents.

We've produced this leaflet to assist all professionals who work with babies and young children. The information will be of particular interest to health visitors, general practitioners, paediatricians, nursery nurses, pre-school workers and reception teachers, social workers, and infant and child psychiatrists.

Author: NSPCC and Cardiff University
Published: 2012


Core info series

The Core info leaflet series is based on a collaborative project by the NSPCC, Cardiff University and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

The RCPCH are engaged in a rolling programme of systematic reviews of published research literature, originally developed by Cardiff University, on aspects of physical child abuse and neglect.

The full systematic review findings including research questions and methodologies as well as information about all of the reviews and annual updates being under taken can be found in the Child Protection Evidence resource on the RCPCH website.