'Emotional abuse' most common form of child abuse in Australia, study finds

By Efe Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - The most common form of child abuse in Australia is "emotional abuse," according to a recent study.

The Australian Child Maltreatment Study found that emotional abuse ranks highest among other forms of child abuse.

The study randomly surveyed 8,503 adult Australians to compile the data on child abuse, stating that their “findings show the influence of child maltreatment extends far beyond childhood and can persist across life.”

It also found that among those children who were overwhelmingly subject to emotional abuse, a staggering 70.5% reported that they received emotional abuse at least once or on a recurring basis.

According to the Australia-based organization Act for Kids, emotional abuse occurs when a child’s emotional, social, or intellectual development is threatened or impaired. It happens when an adult repeatedly makes a child feel frightened, ashamed, upset, alone, or worthless.

Comparing boys and girls, girls were found to experience higher rates of sexual and emotional abuse (37.3%) than boys (18.8%), with sexual abuse being almost double that of boys.

“Our data shows Australians who experience childhood maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence) are substantially more likely to have a mental disorder, engage in health risk behaviors and to have high health service utilization,” the study also noted.