What is the definition of emotional maltreatment?

Emotional maltreatment refers to behaviors that harm a child's emotional well-being and development. This includes actions like ignoring, belittling, threatening, or terrorizing a child. Such behaviors can severely impact a child's self-esteem, emotional health, and overall development, leading to long-term psychological issues.

The focus on ignoring and terrorizing aligns directly with the definition of emotional maltreatment, as these actions create a hostile and unsafe emotional environment for a child. They undermine the child's sense of security and self-worth, which are critical to healthy emotional growth.

Other options, while related to child welfare concerns, do not fully capture the essence of emotional maltreatment. Physical punishment and threats may fall under different forms of abuse, while neglect and lack of supervision typically pertain to physical neglect rather than emotional harm specifically. Conditional love and approval can lead to emotional issues but do not encompass the broader range of behaviors categorized as emotional maltreatment.