{"id":176880,"date":"2025-12-04T16:25:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T16:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raed.academy\/?p=176880"},"modified":"2025-12-04T16:27:27","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T16:27:27","slug":"caring-for-our-minors-from-emotional-deprivation-to-abuse-and-maltreatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raed.academy\/en\/caring-for-our-minors-from-emotional-deprivation-to-abuse-and-maltreatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Caring for our minors: from emotional deprivation to abuse and maltreatment"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Joaqu\u00edn

Dr Joaqu\u00edn Callabed<\/p><\/div>\n

Joaqu\u00edn Callabed<\/strong><\/a>, president of the Club de Pediatr\u00eda Social<\/strong>, Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Catalonia<\/strong> and of the Royal Academy of Pharmacy of Catalonia<\/strong>, and Numerary Member and Vice-President of the Health Sciences Section of the Royal European Academy of Doctors<\/strong> (READ), revisits several current issues related to pediatrics in the articles \u201cEmotional Deprivation in Early Childhood,\u201d \u201cAnalysis of Child Abuse,\u201d \u201cHow to Detect Anomalies in Adolescents,\u201d \u201cHow to Detect and Address Grooming,\u201d<\/strong> and \u201cThe Problem of Child Sexual Abuse,\u201d<\/strong> published throughout October and November in the \u201cExpert Readers\u201d<\/strong> and \u201cReaders\u2019 Network\u201d<\/strong> sections of the digital edition of La Vanguardia<\/strong><\/em>, of whose readers\u2019 community he is an active member.<\/p>\n

In \u201cEmotional Deprivation in Early Childhood,\u201d the expert points to the need for specialists in pediatric development to address psychological aspects and evaluate the social environment in which the child develops. \u201cIt is a proven reality that pediatric consultations reveal a high incidence of psychological issues arising in highly diverse social and family contexts. Emotional deprivation is not a historical notion but remains fully relevant today, and it is worth reflecting on it to achieve better care for our young patients,\u201d he begins, before outlining several elements that may be considered clear warning signs of psychosocial risk and vulnerability.<\/p>\n

In \u201cAnalysis of Child Abuse,\u201d Callabed starts from a broad definition to explain that maltreatment inflicted on minors is any non-accidental act committed by a parent or substitute that causes physical harm or illness or places the child at serious risk of suffering it. \u201cDue to its frequency and significance, child maltreatment and sexual abuse have become a key chapter in modern pediatrics. Emotional deprivation sometimes leads to violence and aggression. Child abuse is more frequent in urban environments than in traditional rural families where uncles or grandparents live together, and the child always finds someone to protect them,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

In \u201cHow to Detect Anomalies in Adolescents,\u201d the president of the Club de Pediatr\u00eda Social introduces the so-called Goldenring survey, which he considers a complement to the medical visit that provides an individualized profile. \u201cThe interview with the adolescent must address biological as well as psychological and social aspects within their personal, family and school environment. Medical consultation requires the professional to have precise knowledge of the adolescent, as well as strong competence in this specialty. To establish communication, the physician must adopt an open, respectful and empathetic attitude. They must show interest in the adolescent without being intrusive. The adolescent should be the centre of the consultation, but appropriate space must also be given to their parents,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n

\"\"Callabed examines cyber-harassment directed at children and adolescents in \u201cHow to Detect and Address Grooming,\u201d which he defines as a series of behaviours by adults, often via the internet, deliberately aimed at gaining the friendship of minors and building an emotional connection in order to win their trust and later blackmail or sexually abuse them. \u201cGrooming is another form of violence, which we define as the use of physical force or power, through direct threats against oneself, another person, a group or a community, with the intent or high likelihood of causing injury, death, psychological harm, developmental disorders or deprivation,\u201d he states.<\/p>\n

Finally, in \u201cThe Problem of Child Sexual Abuse,\u201d the academic addresses what he considers one of the most serious forms of violence against childhood, often with devastating effects on the lives of the affected children, reviewing both its study and its approaches. \u201cThe first major work on this issue was published in Cleveland (United Kingdom) in 1987 by Judge Elisabeth Butler-Sloss<\/strong>, revealing that child sexual abuse was a major social problem requiring strategies for control. The findings, supported by an exemplary research protocol, contributed to the Children Act of 1989, rebalancing the rights of children,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n