Childhood Neglect

1. Childhood Neglect

2. Characteristics of Neglect • An act of omission rather than commission • Most forgotten area of study for child maltreatment • Most frequently reported type of child maltreatment

3. Definition • Deficits in meeting a child’s needs • Parents’ or caretakers’ failure to provide basic physical health care, supervision, nutrition, personal hygiene, emotional nurturing, education or safe housing

4. Issues associated with the Definition • How much of a role of should intentionality play? • How does one factor the issues of poverty • What are a child’s basic needs? • Context is important to consider; including cultural context • Frequency and Duration of Neglect is also important to consider

5. Impact of Child Neglect • For cases reported to Child Protective Services, researchers found that ¼ of the cases suffered immediate physical harm • Endangerment was added to the definition to denote that child had no current injury but the parental behavior placed the child at increased risk of future harm • Impact appears to be greater for chronically neglectful families as opposed to ‘newly neglectful’ families

6. Types of Child Neglect • Physical Neglect (failing to provide the basic necessities of life-food, clothing and shelter); additional definitions have expanded to include lack of supervision, abandonment and refusing custody • Emotional Neglect (greatest disagreement and great overlap with psychological maltreatment) Failure to express affection and caring for a child

7. Additional Types • Health care neglect • Personal hygiene neglect • Nutritional neglect • Neglect of household safety/ sanitation

8. Epidemiology • Based on large scale self-report surveys • 27% of parents reported engaging in some form of child neglect at least once in the previous year • Most cases involved leaving a child alone when the parent thought an adult should be present • 11% were concern about child’s nutrition • 2% were concerned about their problem drinking and inability to care for child

9. At Risk Children • Younger; 51% are less the 5 years of age • Few gender differences though boys may be more likely to be emotionally neglect than girls • Risk for children of color may be greater but this is confounded with socioeconomic status