Citation

Cooper RJ. Occup. Ther. Int. 2000; 7(4): 259-276.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/oti.127

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine critically the impact of child abuse on children's play, using a descriptive model of children's play as a conceptual framework for this review of the literature. Play is recognized as a primary occupation of childhood by occupational therapists. When a child is exposed to an abusive or neglectful care environment his or her play development may be disrupted. Although the detrimental effects of physical, sexual or emotional abuse and neglect are well documented, relatively few studies have investigated the play of abused children. Reported effects suggest that abused or neglected children are more likely to show developmentally delayed play skills, decreased playfulness and behavioural disturbance in their play, which may place them at greater risk for learning and social problems. Occupational therapists often use play, including play therapy, to assess and treat abused children. This analysis highlights the need for occupational therapists to evaluate how play-based therapeutic approaches can best meet the developmental and emotional needs of abused and neglected children. Recommendations are made for occupational therapists to be more knowledgeable about child abuse and to address the need for research into the specific effects of child abuse on children's play. Copyright © 2000 Whurr Publishers Ltd.

Language: en