From Suspicion to Action: Characteristics and Contextual Factors of Child Emotional Abuse in the German Healthcare Setting

Child emotional abuse (CEA) is a common and particularly harmful form of child maltreatment (CM), yet it is poorly recognized by healthcare professionals. This study aims to examine the reasons for suspicion and characteristics of CEA in a large sample of CM consultations ( N = 10,910) of a nationwide helpline for professionals in healthcare in Germany. Descriptive and binary logistic regression analyses of 4,264 case consultations by healthcare professionals ( n = 1,084 cases of CEA) were performed. No correlation regarding the gender of the affected child was found. The most affected age group was adolescents between the ages of 13 to 15 years. In the majority of cases, the suspected perpetrator of CEA was the child’s mother. The strongest predictor for indication was an obviously abnormal interaction between the child and caregiver. The findings underscore the need for a more sensitive and relationship-focused approach to assessment and diagnosis, awareness and CEA-specific training.