Child neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment, and it can include physical, educational, medical, and emotional neglect. Chronic child neglect occurs when a caregiver repeatedly fails to meet a child's basic physical, developmental, and/or emotional needs. This establishes a harmful pattern that has long-term negative consequences for health and well-being.
Use the following resources to help define and identify the signs and symptoms of physical, educational, medical, emotional, and chronic child neglect.
Child Abuse and Neglect: What Parents Should Know
HealthyChildren.org (2022)
Describes the types of child abuse and neglect and discusses risk factors, signs and symptoms, long-term consequences, and prevention.
Child Neglect
Psychology Today (2021)
Defines child neglect and describes the types of neglect, signs and symptoms, consequences, and more.
How Can Understanding Risk and Protective Factors Predict Chronic Neglect for CPS-Involved Families?
Casey Family Programs (2020)
Summarizes a study that examined the use of risk assessment tools to predict subsequent chronic neglect. The findings showed the strongest predictors of chronic neglect were parent cognitive impairment, history of substitute care, mental health problems in parents, and a higher number of allegations in the first report to child protective services (CPS).
What Is Child Neglect?
Morin (2022)
Verywell Family
Summarizes different types of child neglect, including educational neglect, emotional neglect, inadequate supervision, medical neglect, and physical neglect.
What Makes It Neglect? Identifying and Responding to Medical Neglect in Childhood [Webinar]
Palm and Wipperfurth (2022)
Wisconsin Child Abuse Network
Presents information for child welfare professionals on identifying and responding to child medical neglect.