PARENTAL NEGLECT AND THE RISK OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS IN YOUTH

Abstract

Parental neglect is a form of maltreatment that can have significant consequences on the psychological development of the child. Unlike active abuse, which involves acts of direct violence, neglect operates by omission, often being more difficult to identify, having equally devastating psychological effects. According to attachment theory, the absence of parents supports the formation of an unstable cohesion, predisposing the child to difficulties in emotional regulation and increased reactivity to stress. The lack of a predictable and protected environment leads to emotional disorders, favoring the development of maladaptive beliefs about oneself and the world, amplifying the feeling of insecurity and constant fear of danger. On an emotional level, chronic neglect often generates a high level of toxic stress, being conceptualized as an attachment trauma or a complex relational trauma with cumulative effects.

Keywords

• parental neglect
• psychotrauma
• attachment
• anxiety
• stress.