While physical and sexual abuse get the most attention, because they are the most physically shocking, neglect is actually the most common form by far, accounting for more than 60% of all cases of child abuse.
Neglect is a pattern of failing to provide for a child’s basic needs, which causes much damage to the child’s physical or psychological health.
Common types of neglect include physical, educational, emotional or medical neglect.
- Physical neglect: refusing to seek health care for a child, not supervising the child effectively, expelling a child from the home, and not watching out for the child’s safety and health.
- Educational neglect: not enrolling a school-age child in school or preventing the child from receiving necessary special educational help.
- Emotional neglect: abusing a spouse in front of a child, allowing a child to use drugs or alcohol, refusing to provide needed psychological care, and not providing adequate affection. Emotional neglect can lead to negative self-image, alcohol or drug abuse, destructive behavior and even suicide. Severe neglect of infants can result in the baby failing to grow or even death.
- Medical neglect: failing to get appropriate health care for a child even if the parent can pay for it. Sometimes, a parent will refuse to get traditional medical care because of religious beliefs. Usually, this does not fall under the definition of medical neglect, but, some states can get a court order to provide medical treatment for a child to save a child’s life or prevent life-threatening injury.
be there for your child..Stop child abuse
