Emotional Neglect

If a form of permanent abuse ensues within a family over many years, then you can go by the assumption that there is another element of the offence that is a given:

Emotional neglect

This manifests itself as follows:

no affection, love, respect, emotional security

lack of stimulation/encouragement when it comes to emotional and social skills

no encouragement when it comes to education and acquiring social competencies

no help with acquiring life skills/independence for coping with the demands of everyday life

no setting of appropriate boundaries

etc.

(Source: Talk on 31 January 2007 by Dr. S. Mertel – Clinical Psychologist with the Leipzig University Clinic and Polyclinic for child and adolescent psychiatry, psychotherapy and psychosomatics)

While one parent carries out the abuse, the other parent tolerates it and hence passively supports the abuse and refuses the child victim any consolation, affection and emotional security. This has to be seen in the context of the strong imbalance in power within the family. With this said, every once in a while in the Nineties my mother would spend the night in the car parked in the garage.