Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 October 2008
Broken bones, cigarette burns, and profound malnourishment are unambiguous signs of child maltreatment, but defining the causes and consequences of psychological maltreatment is a more challenging task. For child advocates who are concerned with optimizing the developmental potential of each youngster, defining psychological maltreatment is an essential first step, and McGee and Wolfe (1991) should be commended for undertaking such a challenging but necessary task.