Child neglect is an act of caregivers (e.g., parents) that results in depriving a child of their basic needs, such as the failure to provide adequate nutrition, supervision, health care, clothing, or housing, as well as other physical, emotional, social, educational, and safety needs."Child Neglect", a Psychology Today webpage, as updated on February 22, 2019. All societies have established that there are necessary behaviours a caregiver must provide for a child to develop physically, socially, and emotionally. Causes of neglect may result from several parenting problems including mental disorders, unplanned pregnancy, substance use disorder, unemployment, over employment, domestic violence, and, in special cases, poverty.
Child neglect depends on how a child and society perceive the caregiver's behaviour; it is not how parents believe they are behaving toward their child. Parental failure to provide for a child, when options are available, is different from failure to provide when options are not available. Poverty and lack of resources are often contributing factors and can prevent parents from meeting their children's needs when they otherwise would. The circumstances and intentionality must be examined before defining behaviour as neglectful.
Child neglect is the most prevalent form of child abuse. Neglected children are at risk of developing lifelong social, emotional and health problems, particularly if neglected before the age of two years.
Definition Neglect is difficult to define since there are no clear, cross-cultural standards for desirable or minimally adequate child-rearing practices.Gaudin, J M (1999) Child Neglect: Short-term and Long-term Outcomes. In H Dubowitz (ed) Neglected Children: Research, Practice and Policy. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Research shows that neglect often coexists with other forms of abuse and adversity.Daniel, B (2005) Introduction to Issues for Health and Social Care in Neglect. In J Taylor & B Daniel (eds) Child Neglect: Practice Issues for Health and Social Care (11-25). London & Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. While neglect generally refers to the absence of parental care and the chronic failure to meet children's basic needs, defining those needs has not been straightforward. In "Working Together", the Department for Education and Skills (United Kingdom)Department for Education and Skills (2006) Working Together to Safeguard Children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. London: DfES. defined neglect in 2006 as:
...the persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child's health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance use disorders. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers), or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child's basic emotional needs.
Child neglect is commonly defined as a failure by a child's caregiver to meet a child's physical, emotional, educational, or medical needs. Forms of child neglect include: Allowing the child to witness violence or severe abuse between parents or adults Insulting the child or threatening the child with violence Not providing the child with a safe environment and adult emotional support Ignoring the child Showing reckless disregard for the child's well-being
Other definitions of child neglect are: "The failure of a person responsible for a child's care and upbringing to safeguard the child's emotional and physical health and general well-being." — Webster's New World Law Dictionary "Acts of omission: failure to provide for a child's basic physical, emotional, or educational needs or to protect a child from harm or potential harm. [...] harm to a child may or may not be the intended consequence. Failure to provide [results in] physical neglect, emotional neglect, medical/dental neglect, and educational neglect. The failure to supervise [results in] inadequate supervision, exposure to violent environments." — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "The persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs resulting in serious impairment of health and/or development."Turney, D & Tanner, K (2005). Understanding and Working with Neglect. Research in Practice: Every Child Matters Research Briefings 10: — National Children's Bureau (UK)
The definition of child neglect is broad. There are no specific guidelines that determine when a child is being neglected; therefore, it is up to government agencies and professional groups to determine what is considered neglect.Welch, Ginger, Heather Johnson, and Laura Wilhelm. "Neglected Child: How to Recognize, Respond, and Prevent". Beltsville, MD, USA: Gryphon House, 2013. ProQuest ebrary. Web. In general, child neglect is considered the failure of parents or caregivers to meet the needs that are necessary for the mental, physical, and emotional development of a child.Polonko, Karen A. "Exploring assumptions about child neglect with the broader field of child maltreatment". Journal of Health and Human Services Administration. Vol. 29 Issue 3, pp. 260–84. 25p. Southern Public Administration Education Foundation
Child neglect is one of the most common forms of child maltreatment, and it continues to be a serious problem for many children. Child neglect tremendously affects the physical development, mental development, and emotional development of a child causing long-term consequences, such as poor academic achievement, depression, and personality disorders. These consequences also impact society, since it is more likely that children who suffered from child neglect will have substance use disorder problems and educational failure when they grow up.
Types There are various types of child neglect. +TypesDefinitionCase study examplesSupervisoryGuardian or parent of a child is unable or unwilling to display acceptable supervision or control over the child or young person, e.g. leaving the child alone for long periods.Henry, a 7-year-old boy, walks home from school every day and looks after himself until his mother comes home at 7 PM. Sometimes, he tries to cook food on the stove or goes for walks to the local shops.PhysicalBasic physical needs are not met due to the child not being provided with food, water, clothing, shelter, inadequate hygiene, etc.Joyce, a 4-year-old girl, is given snacks (chips and chocolate) and McDonald's meals by her father. Her father does not like to cook, and when he does, it is just frozen meals. Although she is fed, her nutritional needs are not met.MedicalRefusal or delay in child receiving needed medical care.Ben, a 9-year-old boy, has had a cough for a month. His parents are worried about his health. However, his father has recently lost his job, so his parents continue to not take him to a doctor because of the financial cost.EducationalGuardian or parent fails to ensure that the child receives formal education, e.g. attending school, ensuring special needs requirements are met.Thomas, an 8-year-old boy, hates school. His mother has given up on making him attend as he throws a tantrum each time. He has missed over a month of school. His teachers suspect that he has a learning disability, but his mother has not had him tested.EmotionalGuardian or parent give inadequate nurturing or affection. The parent or guardian fails to create an environment where the child feels secure, loved, wanted, worthy, etc.Tiana, a 3-year-old girl, is currently in childcare from 7 AM to 7 PM every weekday. Both her parents work long hours. On the weekends, her parents gave her an iPad to keep her content, but are too busy to play or talk to her directly. Physical neglect refers to the failure to provide a child with necessities of life, such as food and clothing. Medical neglect is a failure of caregivers to meet a child's basic health care needs, such as not brushing teeth daily, bathing a child and or taking children to doctor visits when needed. Emotional neglect is failing to provide emotional support, such as emotional security and encouragement. Educational/developmental neglect is the failure to provide a child with experiences for necessary growth and development, such as not sending a child to school or educating them. Depending on the laws and child protection policies in one's area, leaving a young child unsupervised may be considered neglect, especially if doing so places the child in danger.
Child neglect can also be described by degrees of severity and the responses considered warranted by communities and government agencies. Mild neglect is the least likely to be perceived as neglect by the child but raises the possibility of harm in ways that need intervention by the community. An example might be a parent who does not use a proper car safety seat. Moderate neglect occurs when some harm to the child has occurred. An example might be a child repeatedly dressed inappropriately for the weather (e.g. shorts in winter.) In cases of moderate harm, governmental agencies might be called in to assist parents. Severe neglect occurs over time and results in significant harm to the child. An example might be a child with asthma being denied treatment.
Experience Children may be left at home alone, which can result in negative consequences. Being left at home alone can leave young people feeling scared, vulnerable and not knowing when their parents are going to return. The frequency and duration of being left at home alone may range from every evening to several days or even weeks at a time.
Also, young children may not be provided with a suitable amount of decent food to eat, which is another form of neglect. Children have reported being provided with mouldy food, not having any food in the house, or they were given an insufficient amount of food.
Causes The causes of child neglect are complex and can be attributed to three different levels: an intrapersonal, an inter-personal/family, and a social/economic level. Although the causes of neglect are varied, studies suggest that, amongst other things, parental mental health problems, substance abuse,Cleaver H, Unell I & Aldgate J (1999) Children's Needs - Parental Capacity: The Impact of Parental Mental Illness, Problem Alcohol and Drug Use, and Domestic Violence on Children's Development. London: The Stationery Office. domestic violence,Cawson P (2002) Child Maltreatment in the Family: The experience of a national sample of young people. London: National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. unemployment, and povertyThoburn, J, Wilding, J & Watson, J (2000) Family Support in Cases of Emotional Maltreatment and Neglect. London: The Stationery Office. are factors which increase the likelihood of neglect. Children that result from unintended pregnancies are more likely to suffer from abuse and neglect. They are also more likely to live in poverty. Neglectful families often experience a variety or a combination of adverse factors.
Intra-personal