National statistics show that neglect referrals to Child Protective Services (CPS) have increased over the past decade, and neglect represents the most common type of maltreatment reported, as well as the type most often substantiated. Thus, this is a significant social issue, and unfortunately, controversy exists regarding the definition of neglect. The authors point out that commonly, definitions of neglect are driven by policy or legal implications, rather than the child’s needs. In this article, the authors take a child-centered approach to defining neglect.
More specifically, the authors conceptualize neglect according to child development theory; that is, children have specific stage-salient developmental needs that, if unmet, bar successful adaptation both within and between developmental stages. The authors emphasize that developmentally, a pattern of caregiver omissions may result in substantial emotional or physical harm to children, the effects of which may extend into adulthood. This definition can be contrasted to a focus on parent culpability and legal standards of neglect.
In this study, the authors examined child outcomes at age 4 in a group of children who were identified as having experienced neglectful experiences prior to this age. Participants included 212 children part of LONGSCAN, a multisite longitudinal study on the long-term effects of maltreatment. Child needs examined included those in the categories of physical safety, psychological safety, and security. Results indicated that most of the children (>85%) in the sample received the medical and psychological care that their caregivers felt they needed. Among those that did not, problems with residence safety and untreated behavioral problems predicted child impairments in language, multiple changes in environment predicted externalizing problems, and exposure to verbally aggressive discipline predicted more behavioral problems in general.
The authors note that although the child may not be at “imminent” risk, the aforementioned factors can contribute to significant long-term harm in terms of healthy development. While additional data is necessary in order to revisit the legal definition of neglect, the authors do suggest that these factors be taken into consideration as they impact well-being, a mandate for CPS. In addition, even if these families do not enter the child welfare system, CPS workers can make referrals to community-based services, in line with facilitating their “prevention” mandate.
English, D. J., Thompson, R., Graham, J. C., & Briggs, E. C. (2005). Toward a
Definition of Neglect in Young Children. Child Maltreatment, 10, 190-206.
