Maternal affectional abandonment: a reflection based on the doctrine of integral protection

Abstract

This study will address maternal emotional abandonment, demonstrating that emotional abandonment is not only a paternal practice, but can also occur on the part of mothers. The social transformations that have shaped the structure and dynamics of families over time, especially industrialization, urbanization, and the entry of women into the labor market, although they have promoted greater equality in family relationships, have also brought challenges, such as the neglect of mothers towards their children. With the valorization of individualism and the search for personal fulfillment, many women have moved away from the home, neglecting their maternal responsibilities, which can cause significant damage to the emotional and psychological development of their children. This research seeks to reflect on maternal emotional abandonment from the perspective of the doctrine of integral protection. To this end, it aims to portray the most important aspects of the doctrine of integral protection, maternal emotional abandonment, and its effects on childhood and adolescence. The approach used is deductive, since it is based on the assumption that maternal emotional abandonment has increased and is detrimental to the development of children and adolescents, in violation of the provisions of the Child and Adolescent Statute. It is concluded that maternal emotional abandonment, although less discussed or researched, is a serious problem that requires greater attention from society and that, despite there being no specific data on it, the social view is that it is increasing, causing damage at the same level of severity as paternal emotional abandonment.