Effects Of Neglect On Child Welfare System

Children are our future. They will shape future generations to come and the way our society deals with difficulties. One difficulty that is currently being addressed is child neglect. Child neglect is the most prevalent form of child maltreatment (Sedlak et al 2010). Neglect includes physical neglect, emotional neglect, medical neglect and educational neglect. Although there may or may not be physical symptoms, neglect may be harder to identify right away. Neglect is often referred to as an act of omission as the parent or caregiver does not intentionally cause harm to the child, but the absence of care puts the child at risk of harm (Sedlak et al 2010). In 2007, the cost of child abuse and neglect was $103.8 billion, which includes immediate

I. Introduction A. Attraction Sentence Lisa, 5 years old, is arriving at school late and unaccompanied. In heavy rain, she has been wearing a thin jacket and she is very cold and shivering. B. General Statements Child neglect is not always recognizable through a child’s outward appearance. Research for Action for Children in 2009, which surveyed 1,000 adults, showed that the public was unclear about what constitutes neglect and uncertain about how and when to act if they were concerned that a child was being neglected.

The issue of child neglect is one of the most current forms of child maltreatment especially in the United States. According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, child neglect is referred to as a kind of maltreatment which relates to the failure of a caregiver to offer the needed, age-appropriate care, despite the fact that the parent may be financially stable to do so (Conte 13). Neglect in many instances is described by an ongoing pattern that relates to lack of care and is observed by individuals in close contact with a child.

Failure as a parent or caretaker to provide the essential needs of a child is considered as child neglect and can result in psychological, emotional, and in some cases educational harm. When this happens, children are highly likely to experience reduced mental functioning that could cause the child's life to be dysfunctional.

According to the United States Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), child abuse and neglect are defined at as: "Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation." This definition, according to the Children's Bureau of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, provides the minimum range of behaviors for abuse and neglect; but, each state may provide their own definition. However, focusing on neglect, the Child Welfare Information Gateway (2013) suggests neglect could include physical, medical, educational, or emotional needs of a child not being met. For example, in terms of physical neglect, a parent or caregiver may not feed a child food regularly which could result in

This paper discusses several articles, as well as some college texts, that define and illuminate the four main types of child abuse that exist within the United States. It also discusses some of the effects of abuse and attempts to offer some solutions for this very prevalent societal problem. The definitions of child abuse and neglect vary, based on the context in which they have been studied. Some studies suggest that neglect is the most prevalent type of child abuse in this country. Kaplan, Schene, DePanfilis, and Gilmore assert that neglect becomes chronic when its occurrence is not only ongoing, but seriously deprives a child of basic physical, developmental, and/or emotional needs by someone who cares for them. Whatever

Many scholars have stated that child neglect is the most common form of maltreatment. Neglect is less obvious than physical or sexual abuse, and it may take years for outsiders to ever notice that a child is a victim. Neglect has many faces, forms, and appearances. According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), of the approximately 681,000 children in the United States who were victims of abuse and neglect in 2011, 78.5 percent (531,000 children) suffered from neglect alone, including medical neglect (USDHHS, 2011). In the US, there are many children who are experiencing neglect from their parents or caregivers, and often times it goes unreported. In this paper I will discuss what is child neglect, what the many causes of neglect are, the different types of neglect, long-term effects, and how to recognize the signs of neglect: physical and behavioral indicators.

The Working Together to Safeguard Children report (2013) defines neglect as persistent failings to meet a child's basic physical and psychological needs, for which could result in the serious consequences of the child's health. In essence, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:

Child neglect has been around for a long time. However, it was not until the late 1980s that public awareness began to enlarge to include recognition of the psychological consequences of neglect (Erickson and Egeland 4). Child neglect is a type of child maltreatment. It is a deficit in meeting a child’s basic needs, including lack of basic nutrition, health care, physical, emotional, education, and housing needs. There are many types of neglect in harsh areas and torn families that come for children. Physical signs of neglect include swellings/fractures/burns, dental pain or decay, faltering weight, and developmental delay. Other signs include chronic nappy rash, poor hygiene, and severe and persistent immunizations. Neglect can cause several psychological, social, and emotional issues for children. These include attachment issues, depression, behavioral disorders, social interaction difficulties, communication issues, eating disorders, and exhibiting deficits in cognitive performance. If not treated, these issues will continue or worsen. Neglected children should receive treatment needed at an early age. Due to these complications that come for children who face neglect, available services have increased so that they may receive care. A case study about a girl named Susan from Tupelo, Mississippi will discuss the effects of neglect along with resources and services to help her with the effects of her neglect and childhood difficulties.

In 1997, over 3,195,000 children were reported to child protective services (CPS) agencies (Lucinda Almond). Fifteen out of every 1,000 US children were substantiated as victims of child maltreatment (Lucinda Almond). Five categories were provided: physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, emotional maltreatment and others (Lucinda Almond). In the US many families reported for child abuse often display a number of problems, which most likely contribute to their likelihood for engaging in abusive behavior (Lucinda Almond). Many behaviors of child abuse are alcohol abuse, dependency, threat of harm, and bizarre discipline (Lucinda Almond). Neglect is the most common type of reported child maltreatment. Neglect is any action on the part of a caregiver that causes physical or emotional harm. When a child is neglected he or she may soon become depressed or suicidal. Abandonment is another type of neglect (Lyness D’Arcy). This is when a child is left alone for a

“Child neglect is the most prevalent, but least empirically studied, form of child maltreatment” (De Bellis, 2005). Perhaps because is lacks the obvious physical effects present with abuse, it is often overshadowed. Neglect can be defined as, “the failure by the caregiver to provide needed age appropriate care,” that addresses the child’s physical

According to Action For Children (2014) neglect is a failure to provide attention and right care to a child’s needs that include safe environment and food, emotional needs that include security, warmth and love (Action for children, 2014). Physical neglect include delay or refusal in seeking health care, inadequate supervision, abandonment and expulsion from home, and education neglect include failure for a caregiver to enrol a child in school at the right age, and not giving attention to child’s special needs. Emotional neglect entails abuse of spouse

Of all the reported American child maltreatment in 2013, 79.5% of victims experienced neglect, more than four times the victims that were physically abused (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). Neglect is one of the most common forms of child maltreatment and public awareness of this problem was raised in the 1960s by the work of C. Henry Page 1 of 1Kempe which described the battered-child syndrome. It was only then that child maltreatment was regarded as a serious social problem. Since then, a new field has grown, with professionals researching to understand the problem and effective interventions needed and yet, neglect is still often given less attention than child physical and sexual abuse. The signs of neglect are usually less visible than the physical signs of abuse but it is just as detrimental to the general early development of children as abuse. By examining the consequences of neglect in children on their cognitive development, the problem can be slowly addressed and resolved to a certain extent. Not only does it affect cognitive, language and emotional development in children, it can also result in long term consequences such as poor academic performance and attachment problems. However, research has shown that an enriching environment given to the children once they are out of an environment of neglect can promote resilience which to a certain extent can recover the effects of neglect on various aspects of development.

Physical neglect includes refusal of, or delay in, seeking health care, food, clothing, or shelter; abandonment; expulsion from the home or refusal to allow a runaway to return home; and inadequate supervision (Child Abuse, Primavera). Educational neglect includes the allowance of chronic truancy, failure to enroll a child of mandatory school age in school, and failure to attend to special educational needs (Child Abuse, Primavera). Emotional neglect includes such actions as marked inattention to the child’s needs for affection; refusal of or failure to provide needed psychological care; spouse abuse in the child’s presence; and permission of drug or alcohol use by the child (Child Abuse, Primavera). Whether the caregiver is guilty of over-discipline or did not mean to intentionally cause harm to the child, abuse is abuse.

Neglect is defined as when child doesn’t receive the appropriate amount of clothing, food, medical car, hosing or protection needed to survive. Neglect is a psychological abuse that can be placed on children starting at a young age. It is a serious condition and has the possibility of having long-term effects on a child or adolescent. This condition is sometimes ignored by bystanders even though many children can and have died from neglect. There is plenty of light that still needs to be shined upon this topic in order to enlightening parents and bystanders. According the American Psychological Association, nearly 1,500 children die from neglect in some way, annually. Child abuse might cause psychological disorders and behavior problems