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

Emily Sitarski, Marius Stickel, Anna Eberhardt, Jörg M. Fegert, Oliver Berthold, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, Competence Center Public Child Mental Health, partner site Ulm, German Center for Mental Health , partner site Ulm, DRK Kliniken Berlin, Child Abuse Outpatient Clinic

Child Maltreatment

Published online on May 23, 2026

Abstract

Child Maltreatment, Ahead of Print.
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 ...