PSK 309 - Child Abuse and Neglect

This course aims to provide students with a foundational understanding of child abuse and neglect by introducing them to its theoretical and practical dimensions. Upon completion, students will have a comprehensive understanding of the definitions, types, causes, and consequences of abuse and neglect, be able to analyze the developmental effects of trauma, distinguish between risk and protective factors, and be knowledgeable about the fundamental principles, assessment methods, and intervention approaches for working with abused children.

The course will begin with an examination of fundamental concepts and definitions related to child abuse and neglect. Following a historical perspective on stress and trauma, the individual, familial, and societal risk factors that predispose to abuse and neglect, as well as the factors that protect children from these adverse experiences, will be discussed. The effects of traumatic experiences on children's cognitive, emotional, and social development will be examined in detail, focusing on the different types and symptoms of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect. In the following weeks, positive adaptation processes observed in the face of traumatic experiences, such as resilience, psychological resilience, and post-traumatic growth, will be discussed. Psychopathologies associated with child abuse and neglect, measurement methods used in case assessment, and techniques for conducting effective interviews with abused children will be discussed. The course will conclude with an examination of basic evidence-based treatment and intervention approaches for children affected by abuse and neglect.

Crosson-Tower, C. (2021). Understanding child abuse and neglect (10th ed.). Pearson.
 

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.
Herman, J. L. (2015). Trauma and recovery. Basic Books.
Becker-Blease, K., & Kerig, P. K. (2016). Child maltreatment: A developmental psychopathology approach. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14898-000
Sisto, A., Vicinanza, F., Campanozzi, L. L., Ricci, G., Tartaglini, D., & Tambone, V. (2019). Towards a Transversal Definition of Psychological Resilience: A Literature Review. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 55(11), 745. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55110745.