Introduction
Environment shapes the way people develop, and childhood affects many aspects of adult life. Individuals raised in a hostile environment, such as those experiencing physical or mental neglect or abuse, are likely to feel the long-term effects later in their lives. In their essay Religiosity and Interpersonal Problems Explain Individual Differences in Self Esteem Among Young Adults with Child Maltreatment Experiences, Waldron et al (2018) discuss the damaging effect child neglect has on self-esteem. However, the terms “child neglect” and “self-esteem,” as well as the relationship between the two, need to be defined.
“Child Neglect Becomes Self-Esteem” Defined
Child neglect is a relatively vague term that can involve several things. According to Zeanah and Humphreys (2018), child neglect can take many forms, including physical, emotional, and sexual. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children [NSPCC] (n.d.) defines neglect as the consistent failure to meet the child’s basic needs, including medical and educational. Furthermore, NSPCC provides the signs of neglect in children, such as poor hygiene, health problems, and behavioral changes (n.d.). It can sometimes be challenging to spot problematic parenting or guardianship from outside the household, which is one of the reasons many of the incidents go unnoticed.
Since humans are social creatures, self-esteem, or self-confidence and the sense of self-worth, is an important concept. The ability to remain confident regardless of the situation can help an individual handle stressful situations better. Childhood plays a vital role in the emotional forming of the person, and maltreatment is linked to numerous developmental complications and long-term adverse effects (Waldron et al., 2018). Therefore, the two concepts, child neglect and self-esteem, are inherently related as one increases the risk of the other being low.
Conclusion
In summary, child neglect is the failure to provide basic needs to children, and self-esteem is the self-confidence that aids one in being successful socially and generally. The link between the two has been proven as child neglect often causes self-esteem problems in later life. With thousands of children affected by maltreatment, it is essential to be aware of child abuse symptoms and act accordingly.
References
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. (n.d.). Neglect. Web.
Waldron, J. C., Scarpa, A. & Kim-Spoon, J. (2018). Religiosity and Interpersonal Problems Explain Individual Differences in Self Esteem Among Young Adults with Child Maltreatment Experiences. Child Abuse & Neglect, 80, 277-284.
Zeanah, C. H., & Humphreys, K. L. (2018). Child Abuse and Neglect. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 57(9), 637–644. Web.