What You Can Do

Break the Isolation. Become a friend to a troubled child or over-burdened parent to help ease the tension.

Alert Others to the Problem. Many people don’t recognize or understand psychological maltreatment. Learn more about it and share your knowledge.

Report Cases You Suspect. Please click the link to learn more about Reporting child maltreatment.

Take a Look at Your Own Home, Too. All children need love and attention. You can help prevent child psychological maltreatment and nurture a child’s emotional health by offering acceptance, guidance, encouragement, and closeness to the children in your life.

• Acceptance - Children need to feel loved and appreciated. They need to be respected and admired for who they are and what they contribute to the family.
• Guidance - Too much freedom can make a child feel no one cares. And, without direction, a child may take a serious wrong turn.
• Encouragement - When parents support their children’s interests and goals, children feel more positive about themselves.
• Closeness - Children need to know they can talk to their parents about feelings and experiences. They need to feel their parents will be open with them, too.

Spend lots of TIME with your babies. Hold and cuddle them. Talk to them. Comfort them when they are upset.

Eat meals TOGETHER and encourage positive conversation.

Ask how your child’s day was. Make eye contact while LISTENING.

ATTEND school activities; SHOW AN INTEREST in schoolwork and grades.

CONGRATULATE your children on their successes. When you see a problem, ask how you can help.

Say “I LOVE YOU” and give HUGS often.

RESPECT your children’s feelings and thoughts. LISTEN. Don’t interrupt.

REACH OUT to your children’s friends who may be emotionally neglected.

Unkind words don’t disappear but a SINCERE APOLOGY can help mend the hurt.

THINK about what you are saying.

If You Think You may be Hurting Children by what You Say:

• Talk to Someone. Tell someone you trust about your concerns, such as a friend, leader in your faith community, health-care provider, or family member. You may find that these people have conflicts with their children, too. It can help just to know you’re not the only one.
• Take a Parenting Class. This can help you learn positive ways to communicate with your child. Parenting classes and support groups are offered in communities throughout North Dakota. Visit Programs to learn more about groups offered in your community.
• Improve Your Own Life. Seek help for your own problems so you can give your best to your child. You may need the help of a counselor or a psychologist – especially if you were psychologically maltreated as a child. For more information on services offered in your community visit the Human Service Centers website.