Introduction to Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology
Fourth Edition
To all children and families coping with illness in this world
and
to the caring professionals who serve them.
Sara Miller McCune founded SAGE Publishing in 1965 to support the dissemination of usable knowledge and educate a global community. SAGE publishes more than 1000 journals and over 800 new books each year, spanning a wide range of subject areas. Our growing selection of library products includes archives, data, case studies and video. SAGE remains majority owned by our founder and after her lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures the company’s continued independence.
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Introduction to Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology
Fourth Edition
Robert Weis
Denison University
Copyright © 2021 by SAGE Publications, Inc.
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Case Studies
Additional case studies and discussion questions to accompany this textbook are available in Case Studies in Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology.
For additional resources, visit abnormalchildpsychology.org.
An Invitation
There once was an old man who lived near the ocean. One morning, the man went for a walk on the beach and found the shore covered with starfish, stretching in both directions. A storm had passed the night before, stranding the starfish on the sand.
In the distance, the man noticed a little boy walking along the shoreline. As the boy approached, he paused every so often, bent down to pick up a starfish, and threw it into the sea. When the boy came close enough, the man shouted, “Good morning! May I ask what you are doing?”
The boy stopped, looked up, and replied, “I’m throwing the starfish into the ocean. The storm washed them onto the beach, and they can’t return to the sea by themselves. They need my help” (Image 0.1).
The old man replied, “But there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you really won’t be able to make much of a difference.”
The boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the water as far as he could. Then, he turned to the man, smiled, and said, “I made a difference to that one!”
Like the starfish in the story, many children and adolescents are in need of help. Roughly 20% of all youths experience at least one psychological disorder prior to adulthood. This percentage means that nearly 15,000,000 youths in the United States alone will encounter problems with their behavioral, cognitive, or social–emotional functioning. These problems include developmental disabilities like Down syndrome or autism spectrum disorder, externalizing problems like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or aggressive behavior, internalizing problems like anxiety and depression, and health-related problems such as eating disorders and insomnia. Problems like these are serious; they can adversely affect children’s ability to care for themselves and communicate with others, perform well in school, foster relationships with family and friends, and achieve happiness and satisfaction in life.
Equally worrisome is the fact that most children and adolescents who need help receive substandard care or no professional treatment whatsoever. Barriers to effective treatment include poor recognition of children’s psychological problems; limited access to high-quality, mental health services, especially among children from socioeconomically disadvantaged families; and an overall shortage of mental health professionals who are trained in evidence-based treatment. The sheer number and severity of children’s problems can cause us to become pessimistic, like the old man in the story.
On the other hand, recent scientific advances can cause us to be hopeful
