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Continuing toward an operational definition of psychological maltreatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

Douglas Barnett*
Affiliation:
Mt. Hope Family Center, Department of Psychology, University of Rochester
Jody Todd Manly
Affiliation:
Mt. Hope Family Center, Department of Psychology, University of Rochester
Dante Cicchetti
Affiliation:
Mt. Hope Family Center, Department of Psychology, University of Rochester
*
Address reprint requests to: Douglas Barnett, Mt. Hope Family Center, Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, 187 Edinburgh Street, Rochester, NY 14608.

Extract

More than any other subtype of abuse and neglect, psychological maltreatment offers a number of unique challenges to theoreticians and researchers. Although progress has been made, contention still remains over the definition of psychological maltreatment and its relation to other forms of child abuse and neglect (Brassard, Germain, & Hart, 1987; Garbarino, Guttmann, & Seeley, 1986). Thus, the definition and operationalization of psychological maltreatment continue to be important issues that require further research and explanation. In fact, the development of standardized definitions and assessment techniques for all forms of maltreatment is crucial to increase communication across laboratories, and across disciplines.

Type
Commentaries
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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