When quantity takes on a quality of its own: A retrospective exploration of the lived experience of cumulative harm

Cumulative harm refers to the effects of an accumulation of adverse experiences in a child's life. An understanding of cumulative harm and its integration into practice frameworks, legislation, policy and service delivery is hailed as an imperative of critical social concern and has been demanded by researchers, practitioners, commissioners and coroners. However, there is minimal research exploring the nature and defining qualities of cumulative harm and the implications for individuals in adulthood. The present study uses interpretive phenomenological analysis to explore the lived experiences of cumulative harm in a sample of helping professionals. The findings of this study contribute knowledge to the definitions and typologies of child abuse, neglect and adversity, and draw on empirical evidence to broaden the scope of what constitutes childhood maltreatment. Further, the findings catalyse a paradigm shift that positions accumulation as a distinct harm type and clarifies the qualities which embody cumulative harm: persistent dysfunction, dysregulation, disadvantage and disconnection.