Overcoming Childhood Trauma: Long-Term Effects of Early Maltreatment

Child maltreatment is a worldwide problem, often overlooked by the general population. Each year in the United States of America, about 3.6 million referrals are made to Child Protective Services, reflecting 6.6 million individual cases of maltreatment. The short- and long-term effects of abuse and neglect have drastic consequences on individual children and society as a whole. In order to combat these outcomes, it is crucial for victims to demonstrate resiliency after the trauma has occurred. The goal of this project was to review relevant literature pertaining to the subject of child maltreatment and resilience. After examining several research studies and cases, six main long-term effects began to emerge. These include poor academic performance, psychological disruptions, physical health problems, substance abuse, violence, and decreased quality of life. Additionally, recent research has found many coping strategies designed to increase resilience, which are further discussed in this literature review. By bringing more attention to the long-term effects of childhood trauma and strategies for resilience, state and local governments may one day be able to implement policies which seek to improve the lives of child maltreatment victims