Child Neglect & Abuse PDF

Child Neglect and Abuse Convention on the Rights of the Child: Everyone is considered a child until they turn 18. Child Neglect and Abuse Mark, who is 8 years old, is left to care for his 3-year-old sister, Maria, while their parents go out. Margaret fails to provide medication for...

Child Neglect and Abuse Convention on the Rights of the Child: Everyone is considered a child until they turn 18. Child Neglect and Abuse Mark, who is 8 years old, is left to care for his 3-year-old sister, Maria, while their parents go out. Margaret fails to provide medication for her 10-year-old daughter, who has a seizure disorder. Jonathan refuses to allow his 16-year-old son into the family's home and tells him not to return. Child Neglect and Abuse Tyrone and Rachel live with their three children in a home that is thick with dirt and dust, smells of urine, and has nothing but rotting food in the refrigerator. Alicia leaves her 10-month-old infant unattended in a bathtub full of water. Child Neglect The failure to provide for the development of the child in all spheres: health, education, emotional development, nutrition, shelter, and safe living conditions, causing harm to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development. This includes the failure to properly supervise and protect children from harm as much as is feasible. (WHO) Child Neglect Child neglect is an act of omission( failure to act). Parents or caregivers are not doing something that they should be doing for their children. Neglect can be thought of as the failure to meet the minimum requirements for care; it is not the failure to provide ideal care. Attention: If you suspect a child is being neglected: Is the inadequate attention, behavior and indifference of caregivers towards the child due to poverty or lack of resources? Are these behaviors intentional? Types of Child Neglect Prenatal (Fetal) Neglect Physical Neglect Educational Neglect Emotional Neglect Types of Child Neglect Prenatal Neglect: The term prenatal neglect refers generally to any actions of a pregnant woman that can potentially harm her unborn child. Behaviors that put the fetus at risk for harm. Most conceptualizations of prenatal neglect focus on women who abuse illicit drugs and alcohol during pregnancy, exposing infants to the effects of these substances in utero. Types of Child Neglect Prenatal Neglect: Research has consistently demonstrated that children born of mothers who consumed large quantities of alcohol during pregnancy face definitive and irreversible effects, including growth deficiency, anomalies of brain structure and function, mental retardation, and abnormalities of the head and face (Streissguth, 1997). Types of Child Neglect Prenatal Neglect Drinking during pregnancy is the leading cause of preventable fetal death, fetal malformations, and neurodevelopmental problems. Maternal alcohol consumption also significantly increases the risk of spontaneous abortion. Types of Child Neglect Prenatal Neglect Aliyu et al. (2011) examined 1,221,310 births and found an association between maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and placental abruption. Mothers who drank alcohol were 33% more likely to suffer this complication. Placenta Abruption :The condition in which the placenta separates from the uterine wall prior to birth; this can result in severe bleeding. Types of Child Neglect Prenatal Neglect Moderate drinking has been associated with both low birth weight and neonatal asphyxia (Meyer-Leu et al., 2011). Neonatal Asphyxia : A significant decrease in oxygen and an increase in carbon dioxide that can lead to loss of consciousness and death. Types of Child Neglect Prenatal Neglect It is known that some infants born to mothers who consume alcohol during pregnancy will have fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) :A series of birth defects resulting from a mother’s consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. Symptoms include intellectual disability, low birth weight, head and face abnormalities, and growth deficiencies. Types of Child Neglect Physical Neglect: The failure to meet the minimal physical needs of the child. Failure to meet the child's basic health care needs Failure to protect the child from preventable diseases Failure to seek immediate and necessary medical help in case of a serious health problem Types of Child Neglect Physical Neglect: Leaving the child alone for long periods of time without adult supervision Not knowing or caring about the child's whereabouts until late at night Failure to provide the child with regular and nutritious meals and clean/adequate clothing Types of Child Neglect Physical Neglect: Leaving the child alone for long periods of time without adult supervision Not knowing or caring about the child's whereabouts until late at night Failure to provide the child with regular and nutritious meals and clean/adequate clothing Types of Child Neglect Educational Neglect: The child's developmental and educational needs are not consistently met. Educational Neglect which involves permitting truancy, failure to send a child to school or enroll him or her in school, and inattention to special educational needs Types of Child Neglect Emotional Neglect: Showing insufficient attention and affection to the child Allowing the child to witness domestic maltreatment and violence Allowing him to use alcohol and/or drugs Types of Child Neglect Emotional Neglect: Supporting or allowing the child's maladaptive behavior such as delinquency or excessive aggression Preventing or delaying the child from receiving the professional psychological support Neglectful Parents: Compared with non-neglectful parents, neglectful parents generally interact less with their children, and when they do interact, the interactions are less positive. Neglectful parents, for example, engage in less verbal instruction and play behavior with their children, show their children less nonverbal affection, and exhibit less warmth in discussions with their children. There is also evidence that neglectful parents are involved in more negative behaviors with their children, including issuing commands and engaging in verbal aggression. Neglectful Parents: Interactions between neglectful parents and their children are also characterized by less empathy. Recent findings confirm the presence of both depression and chronic health problems in parents as significant risk factors for child neglect. There is also mounting evidence that substance abuse contributes to child neglect. Children of single parents are at greater risk for all types of neglect compared with children living with both parents. Neglectful Parents: Studies indicate that rates of neglect are higher in families characterized by very low income, unemployment, and dependence on social assistance. Indicators of Neglect Lack of adequate medical or dental care Chronic sleepiness or hunger Poor personal hygiene; dirty clothing; inadequate dress for weather conditions Evidence of poor supervision; child is left alone in the home or unsupervised under circumstances when he or she should have been supervised Indicators of Neglect Conditions in the home constitute a health hazard Fire hazards or other unsafe conditions in the home Inadequate sleeping arrangements Nutritional quality of food in the home is poor Spoiled food in refrigerator or cupboards The child begs or steal food or money The child is frequently absent from school Risk Factors of Child Neglect Inadequate socioeconomic conditions Lack of social support/Social isolation Caregivers' past experience of violence Caregivers’ addiction Insufficient knowledge of caregivers about child development Risk Factors of Child Neglect Caregivers becoming parents at a very young age Beliefs that support or condone violent practices Child living with a single parent Domestic violence High daily stress level in the family Effects of Neglect Effects of Neglect Effects of Neglect Some severely neglected infants will be diagnosed with nonorganic failure to thrive (NFTT). These infants, who were once in the normal range, now fall below the fifth percentile for height and weight in the absence of any organic explanation (Children’s Health, 2020). They are also likely to display psychomotor delays during infancy, and they are at risk for continued growth problems, school failure, and intellectual disability. In many cases, these infants are malnourished due to inadequate feeding. Effects of Neglect Nonorganic Failure to Thrive: A child’s failing to reach normal milestones for physical growth (falling below the third percentile) when the child has no known organic disease.