Child Neglect

Child neglect is defined as when a caregiver fails to provide those basic human needs that are necessary for a child/youth to grow into a healthy adult.

Children need four specific behaviours from caring adults in order to develop into mature, healthy adults (Mosher, 1994¹):

¤  Verbal communication skills
¤  A safe environment to explore both physically and socially
¤  Their needs met appropriately according to their developmental stage
¤  The verbal & non-verbal expression of positive feelings towards them.

Since neglect is chronic, neglected children and youth are constantly dealing with their needs not being met. Over time they begin to feel unworthy of attention and energy; acknowledging parental rejection and lack of care is more threatening to them than believing that they are the cause of their parents' unkind acts towards them (Gauthier, Stoaalk, Messe & Aronoff, 1996, p. 549²).

As a child, the above statement was evident with me. Believing my mother hated me was more threatening and devastating than anything she could possibly do to me physically. I've written a book of my experiences. Check it out at child abuse story.

Child Neglect pages on this site:

Child Neglect	Neglect Signs
Neglect Effects	Neglect Statistics
Poverty & Neglect

Child abuse information pages on this site:

Abuse Headlines	History of Abuse
Sexual Abuse Signs	Child Abuse Stats
Sexual Abuse Effects	Emotional Abuse
Sexual Abuse Stats	Emotional Abuse Types
Sexual Abuse Victims	Emotional Abuse Signs
Male Victims	Emotional Abuse Effects
Female Victims	Bullying
Victims w/ Disability	Emotional Abuse Stats
Sexual Abuse Disclosures	Physical Abuse
Sex Offenders	Physical Abuse Signs
Male Sex Offenders	Abuse & Discipline
Female Sex Offenders	Physical Abuse Effects
Child Sex Offenders	Physical Abuse Stats
Adolescent Sex Offenders	Child Neglect
Incestuous Sex Offenders	Neglect Signs
Internet Sex Offenders	Neglect Effects
Child Abuse Law	Neglect Stats
Age of Majority	Poverty & Neglect
Duty to Report	Sexual Abuse
Abuse Intervention	Sexual Abuse Defined
Abuse Prevention

1 Mosher, C. (1994). Neglect of children: A comprehensive review. Victoria, BC: Ministry of Social Services (unpublished).

2 Gauthier, L., Stollak, G., Messe, L. & Aronoff, J. (1996). Recall of childhood neglect and physical abuse as differential predictors of current psychological functioning. Child Abuse & Neglect, 20(7), 549-559.