PREVENTING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MALTREATMENT OF CHILDREN

Psychological violence and other forms of psychological abuse constitu te the most frequent type of child maltreatment within the family sett ing. To effectively prevent psychological maltreatment, answers to fou r questions must be provided: First, what is the nature and scope of t he problem (what to prevent)? Second, toward whom should intervention be directed (who is at risk)? Third, in what situations or milieus is the problem most likely to be observed (where should intervention be t argeted)? Finally, which preventive strategies are the most effective (how to intervene)? This article addresses these questions and identif ies both the challenges and resources available for intervention prima rily by focusing on the risk and protection factors associated with th e psychological maltreatment of children.