Emotional Neglect

A type of interpersonal trauma and one of the two primary forms of psychological maltreatment. Can involve traumas of commission such as shunning and rejection, intentional social deprivation, isolation, forced separation from a love one, and nonverbal expressions of disgust. Often involves unintentional traumas of omission, or benign neglect, including lack of provision of sufficient affection and comfort necessary for the well-being of a child, elder, or other vulnerable person. Most often perpetrated by parents or other adults against children in their care but can occur in the context of any ongoing relationship, including but not limited to intimate partner and peer relationships, elder care, coaching, teaching, and residential programming. In addition to serving as a counterpart to emotional abuse, emotional neglect can also be considered part of a broader spectrum of neglect including physical neglect, medical neglect, and educational neglect.