Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology

A Developmental Perspective, Second Edition

Linda Wilmshurst

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781317336587
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Psychotherapy
• Index: Psychology

Written from a developmental perspective, Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology is organized around five prominent and recurring themes: the course of normal development proceeds in an orderly and predictable direction; maladaptive behaviors represent deviations from the normal path; maladaptive behavior is represented by a continuum of severity (symptoms, syndromes, disorders) based on the degree to which behaviors deviate from the norm; individual, interpersonal, contextual and cultural factors interact in a reciprocal way to influence normal development and abnormal deviations; theoretical input from diverse perspectives can guide our understanding of underlying processes that precipitate and maintain behaviors and the different developmental pathways that might result. The revision will be divided into 5 sections, all integrating the DSM-5, and will include a new chapter on child maltreatment and self injurious behavior.

Part I

The Foundations of Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology

Understanding abnormal child behavior from a developmental perspective requires an appreciation of the science of child psychopathology as it exists today, and a recognition of how the discipline has evolved over time. In some ways, it is ironic that developmental psychopathology will always be considered one of the youngest disciplines relative to other psychological fields of study, with its birth dating back only some 30 years ago (1984). Yet in many ways, the science is also blessed with the intensity and energy of youth that has resulted in an explosion of research and theory in the area unsurpassed by many of the most mature of disciplines.

It is the author’s firm belief that without an appreciation of the evolutionary nature of progress in the field, and the contexts of development, one cannot hope to understand the complex nature of developmental psychopathology. With this goal in mind, rather than rushing on to the problems themselves, this text, probably more than any other, begins by focusing on the essential core upon which the discipline has been built. Within the spirit of a truly developmental perspective, the study of child psychopathology unfolds from its past to the present and with an eye to the future.

In this section, important concepts will be introduced that will be re-addressed and reinforced throughout the text. Laying the foundation for future discussions, the foundations prepare readers with vital information integrating sources from history, theory, risk and resilience, cultural diversity, ethical issues, research methods and issues in diagnosis, assessment and treatment. Once students have an appreciation for the breadth and depth of the discipline, they will be able to approach developmental problems with a more focused and intense understanding.

1

Abnormal Child Psychology

Past, Present and Future

Chapter 1 At-a-Glance

A Brief History of the Origins of Clinical Child Psychology

Child Advocacy and Clinical Child Psychology: Four Historical Phases

1) Recognition of Childhood as a Distinct Period of Development

2) Industrialization and the Social Reform Movements (Early 20th Century)

3) Building Structures in Support of Social Reform

4) Regression in Social Welfare (1970s On)

Child Psychopathology as a Unique Discipline: Barriers and Roadblocks

1) Nature/Nurture Debate

2) The Disease Model of Pathology

3) The Shift in Emphasis From Treatment to Identification

4) Adult Versus Child Perspective

Clinical Child Psychology: Focus on Development

Developmental Psychopathology: The Merging of Two Disciplines

The Increasing Role of Developmental Contexts

Trends in Conceptualizing Developmental Change and Maladaptive Influences

Contemporary Viewpoints Regarding Developmental Change

Understanding Maladaptive Behaviors From a Developmental Perspective

Looking Ahead: Applying a Developmental Framework to Understanding Aggressive Behaviors

The Five Recurrent Themes

Theme 1: Normal Development Typically Proceeds Along an Orderly and Predictable Path

Theme 2: Maladaptive Behaviors Represent Deviations From the Normal Path

Theme 3: Maladaptive Behavior Is Represented by a Continuum of Severity

Theme 4: Individual, Interpersonal, Contextual, and Cultural Factors Influence Deviations in Development

Theme 5: Clinical Psychologists Can Draw on a Multiplicity of Theoretical Perspectives to Assist in Understanding Maladaptive Behaviors

The K3 Paradigm

Overall Learning Objective

Chapter Preview

This chapter will provide an introduction to abnormal child psychology and focus on relevant information in the following areas:

1. 1. A Brief History of the Origins of Clinical Child Psychology
   The development of abnormal child psychology as a unique area of study has not been without growing pains. The developmental pathway was riddled with roadblocks that delayed recognition of abnormal child psychology, or clinical child psychology, as a unique field of study. Initially, there was a denial that children could have “emotional problems”; later on progress was derailed by the equally fallacious mindset that children were miniature adults and, as such, had “adult” disorders requiring the same “adult” treatment. A look at how our understanding has evolved over time will provide a deeper appreciation of some of the more contemporary issues and concerns.
2. 2. Understanding Maladaptive Behavior: Five Recurrent Themes
   The five themes emphasize the importance of conceptualizing maladaptive behavior as an offshoot of normal development, and provide the foundation to understanding abnormal behavior from a developmental perspective:
   • Normal development typically follows a predictable and orderly path.
   • Maladaptive behaviors veer off the normal path.
   • Maladaptive behavior is represented by a continuum of severity based on the degree to which behaviors deviate from the normal path.
   • Individual, interpersonal, contextual and cultural factors influence deviations in development.
   • There are a number of theoretical models that can serve as a framework to assist in understanding how the behavior developed (precipitating factors) and how it is maintained (maintaining factors).

Ultimately, the five themes converge in the K-3 Paradigm, a heuristic (learning tool) that emphasizes three pivotal areas of knowledge fundamental to understanding abnormal child behavior from a developmental perspective:

1. Knowledge concerning normal development and developmental expectations;
2. Knowledge of the sources of influence (child characteristics and environmental characteristics);
3. Knowledge of theoretical models.

A Brief History of the Origins of Clinical Child Psychology

There are several important milestones evident in the development and recognition of clinical child psychology as a unique field of study. One such milestone was the founding of the Journal of Clinical Child Psychology (JCCP) in 1972 by Gertrude J. Williams, who was the initial editor. Williams had previously been associated with the Child Guidance Clinic at Washington University in St. Louis. Over the course of the next 18 years, JCCP evolved from being a forum for “reflective comments” by concerned child advocates to a peer-reviewed journal that focused on publishing “research, reviews, articles on child advocacy, as well as on training and on professional practice in clinical child psychology” (Routh, Patton & Sanfilippo, 1991, p. 3). In their review of articles published by JCCP between 1972 and 1989, Routh and colleagues (1991) noted that the percentage of research articles published increased to over 90% relative to articles devoted to advocacy issues, which fell to less than 2%. The authors suggest that these changes likely reflect the increased recognition and emphasis on clinical child psychology courses being offered in undergraduate and graduate psychology programs in major universities across the United States, resulting in prolific academic research initiatives in the area of clinical child psychology.

Child Advocacy and Clinical Child Psychology: Four Historical Phases

In her review of the historical roots of the child advocacy movement, Culbertson (1991) traces the changing conceptualizations of childhood through four historical phases that parallel changes in underlying economic conditions, social beliefs and the prevailing political climate. The four phases include: recognition of childhood as a specific period of development; the impact of increased industrialization and social reform; formal organizations established to support social reform; and a period of regression that began in the 1970s resulting from children living in dire economic conditions. It is Culbertson’s belief that this changing perspective on childhood parallels similar changes evident in the fields of developmental and clinical child psychology. Research in areas of child development and clinical child psychology contributed significantly to the growing body of knowledge about the nature of children’s emotional and cognitive capacities and served to inform those involved in the social reform movement and shape the nature of their involvement.

1) Recognition of Childhood as a Distinct Period of Development

In Europe, prior to the 15th century, children as young as 5 and 6 years of age were considered to be miniature adults (Culbertson, 1991). Over the course of the next 200 years, beginning with the Renaissance educators and scholars of the 15th century, the role of children began to be viewed as being different from adults, although this was primarily reserved for children from the upper classes, because poorer families relied on children to occupy the workforce. The nature of childhood and the role of parenting went through several transitions, from an emphasis on the responsibility of parents to educate and fill their child’s mental slate with knowledge (17th- century English philosopher John Locke), to a belief that childhood was a period of innocence that should be left alone to unfold naturally (18th-century French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau).

In the United States, at the end of the 18th century, children as young as 5 and 6 years of age could still be found working alongside their parents as part of the family economy (farms, shops), as apprentices, or if orphaned, following their master’s orders. It wasn’t until the 19th century that values and beliefs about individual rights ushered in an era of sentimentality toward childhood, as slavery fell out of favor and humanitarian sensibilities increased. However, even at this time, youth 12 to 18 years of age were not considered as part of childhood. By the mid-19th century, Americans began to follow parenting practices suggested some two centuries earlier by John Locke...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Preface
• Part I: The Foundations of Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology
• Part II: Emotional, Behavioral and Learning Difficulties in Children and Youth: Their Nature and Their Course
• References
• Index