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 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 abuse information pages on this site:References NOTE: Information pages on this site were based on material from the 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 Victoria, BC: Ministry of Social Services (unpublished). 2 Gauthier, L., Stollak, G., Messe, L. & Aronoff, J. (1996).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. |
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