After exploring the developmental and epistemological issues associated with a definition of psychological child abuse, the book proposes a five-category definition: terrorizing, isolating, ignoring, rejecting, and corrupting. The definition is explained through an analysis of 20 case studies, illustrating each type of psychological maltreatment across and within child developmental stages from infancy to adolescence. The concepts and applications of identification and assessment offer a broad selection of techniques and strategies that address the interaction systems in the family, community, and host culture. The challenge of linking parental behavior to child outcomes is a major theme. The proposed ecological perspective of child psychological maltreatment is applied to intervention issues pertaining to the broad social environment, the family, and the institutional network of social services. The book also discusses psychological maltreatment in out-of-home care settings such as day care centers and residential institutions, including how to assess and intervene in such cases. The how to assess and intervene in such cases. The book also provides information on a variety of organizations active in the child welfare and protection field and lists local chapters of the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse. Approximately 300 references and name and subject indexes.