The children were studied during their therapy and 12 years later as teenagers. The results, published in the February 1998 issue of Child Maltreatment, show that the Childhaven children were:
- Six times less likely to have committed a violent juvenile crime
- Better adjusted in school and less of a disruption for teachers
- Two and half times less likely to abuse drugs
The Childhaven families also received half as much money in welfare cash grants, medical coupons and food stamps than the comparison group.
The bottom line: An investment in healing a child today can save lives—and taxpayer dollars—tomorrow.
Learn more about the Childhaven Longitudinal Research Study and our Research Roadmap.
These images illustrate the negative impact of neglect on the developing brain.
The CT scans on the left are from healthy three year old children with an average head size (50th percentile). The image on the right is from a series of three three-year-old children following severe sensory deprivation neglect in early childhood. Each child’s brain is significantly smaller than average and each has abnormal development of cortex (cortical atrophy) and other abnormalities suggesting abnormal development of the brain.
From studies conducted by researchers from the ChildTrauma Academy (www.childtrauma.org) led by Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.