The Psychological Effects of Child Abandonment

Despite the bond that is usually present between a child and their parent, the physical abandonment of children is an act that has been carried out for centuries. Moses was abandoned by his mother, though she did so to save his life. Orphaned children have been widely used as the protagonist in classic literature such as Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom and Huck, and the Harry Potter books. Today, “baby dumping” has become a phenomenon, and in many cases, babies are left at hospitals, at parks, and even in dumpsters. While motivations are different in every child abandonment case, the end results are quite often the same. When abandonment occurs at such an early and integral part of a child’s early development, the actions can mold and shape a child psychologically, emotionally and perhaps even physically for the rest of their lives, creating a lifelong psychological struggle.

Even in our modern times, the abandonment of children remains to be a social phenomenon that is difficult to understand. After all, one might ask, “How can a mother and/or father abandon their own baby or child?” The answers are usually not easy to understand. In some cases, children are abandoned because the parent has mental problems. In other cases, children are abandoned because the parent feels that they simply cannot take care of the child due to financial reasons. And sometimes, children are abandoned because the parent is purely selfish in nature and they simply do not want to take care of their child.

The decision of abandonment can be conscious or unconscious. Whatever the reason, the child will suffer consequences because they are abandoned. Some of these victims grow up to be successful and lead a seemingly happy life, while others who have been deeply affected live unfulfilled and broken lives, and they suffer from self-esteem and trust issues, to name a few problems.

If an infant is abandoned by their mother, their psychological, emotional, and physical being could very well be compromised. Most infants become attached to their mother within days and weeks of being born. When they become unattached from their mother, they begin to suffer almost immediately. According to research, “about 60 percent of infants display secure attachment. In their mother’s presence, they play comfortably, happily exploring their new environment. When she leaves, they become distressed (Myers, 2008). When abandoned, an infant’s distress is the beginning of the psychological and emotional effects.

A study by Mary Ainsworth involving a “strange situation” experiment found the following:

Insensitive, unresponsive mothers—mothers who attended to their babies when they felt like doing so but ignored them at other times—often had infants who were insecurely attached. The Harlows’ monkey studies, with unresponsive artificial mothers, produced even more striking effects. When put in strange situations without their artificial mothers, the deprived infants were terrified (Meyers).

The above experiment shows that infants who are unattached from their mothers are emotionally scared and insecure, which most likely will affect their emotional and psychological development years down the road.

Since a child’s temperament is determined when they are an infant, the effects of abandonment will more than likely be an issue when they are older. According to Meyers,

“biologically rooted temperament helps form our enduring personality” (2008). When children are abandoned, they tend to grow up lacking basic trust. Erik Erikson believed the basic trust was not learned, and he “attributed basic trust not to environment or inborn temperament, but to early parenting. He theorized that infants blessed with sensitive, loving caregivers form a lifelong attitude of trust rather than fear” (Meyers). Furthermore, abandonment “induces dramatic biological and cognitive disorders, especially when the institutionalization period begins during the first year of life” (J.F. Cardona et al, p. 292). It is clear that abandoned children will more than likely suffer from detrimental disorders if they were abandoned as an infant.

Early attachments form the foundation of adult relationships, and abandoned children may never be able to trust or feel secure in any relationship when they are older. Specifically, romantic relationships can be compromised. According to Meyers, when a trusting and secure relationship with another person does not exist, most relationships tend to exhibit either an insecure-anxious attachment or an insecure-avoidant attachment. Abandoned children can grow up to be extremely insecure and doubtful of their self-worth. Anxiety can also take over their ability to form lasting relationships. Or, they may be so insecure that they avoid any relationships altogether. In either case, the result is psychologically unhealthy.

Moving into childhood, abandonment can lead to more problems that are both psychological and physical in nature. Depression can begin to plague children even at a young age, and this can carry through to their adulthood if not treated or acknowledged. According to “More Than the Loss of a Parent: Potentially Traumatic Events Among Orphaned and Abandoned Children,” their abandonment can be linked to anxiety, depression, and antisocial behavior patterns that last into adulthood and can lead to high-risk behaviors, increased risk of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), and reduced health promotion activities (Whetton et al, 2011, p.182). The article also points out that the traumatic experience of being abandoned can be “linked to distrust of governments and systems of care later in life activities” (Whetton et al, p.182). Not only will the child suffer psychologically when they are young, their emotional scars will stay with them later in life. Their abandonment could result in the decline of their health because they simply do not care about themselves anymore and their self-worth has been compromised. This health decline could begin in childhood or surface when they are teenagers because of reckless behavior stemming from their abandonment.

The feeling of low self-worth can follow victims of abandonment until they are adults and through the rest of their lives. These psychological issues can be present in abandoned children, whether they were abandoned in a dumpster or on the doorstep of a wealthy family. Sometimes, adults who were abandoned as children can put their past behind them. But others are not so lucky. They go through life as a lost soul of sorts, not knowing where they belong or why they were left by their parents. Some become determined to find out why there were seemingly rejected, and some have a natural curiosity to find out the unknown.

It is no surprise that abandoned children can become adults who suffer from low self-esteem and an inability to form normal, healthy relationships. After all, they were children who were treated like property. They were discarded when their parents no longer wanted them or had use for them. The feelings of rejection can be seething for adults who were abandoned as children, and they may never be able to find peace in themselves or the world around them.

There are now laws in every state that protect infants who are abandoned. These laws provide safe havens for parents who wish to leave their child in a safe place instead of on the street on in a dumpster. The laws “specify locations where an infant can be dropped off safely” (Horne, 2009, p.29). Most states allow either the mother or the father to drop off an infant, while others only allow the mother to relinquish the infant. While safe havens will not stop child abandonment, they do provide a chance of an opportunity for the infant to live a normal, healthy life.

In conclusion, the future of abandoned children seems to be bleak considering the psychological effects they endure. While many abandoned children suffer the psychological consequences through adulthood, there are some victims that prevail and lead a positive, healthy life. There is no rhyme or reason as to why some abandoned children become psychologically healthy adults. However, it is clear that the adults who are healthy after being abandoned have beaten the odds that were stacked against them.

References

Cardona, J. F., Manes, F., Escobar, J., López, J., & Ibáñez, A. (2012). “Potential Consequences of Abandonment in Preschool-Age: Neuropsychological Findings in Institutionalized Children.” Behavioural Neurology, 25(4), 291-301.

Horne, B. J. (2009). No Blame, No Name. State News (Council of State Governments), 52(2), 28-30.

Myers, D. G. (2008). Exploring Psychology (9th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Whetten, K., Ostermann, J., Whetten, R., O'donnell, K., & Thielman, N. (2011). More than the loss of a parent: Potentially traumatic events among orphaned and abandoned children. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 24(2), 174-182.