What is
child neglect?
"Neglect
is the persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or
psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child's health or development.
Once
a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or career failing to:
- provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment);
- protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger;
- ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or
- ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child's basic emotional needs."
Types of
neglect
- Physical neglect is the failure to provide for a child's basic needs. It usually involves the parent or caregiver not providing adequate food, clothing or shelter.
- Educational neglect involves the failure to ensure a child receives an adequate and suitable education.
- Medical neglect is the failure to provide appropriate health care for a child, placing the child at risk of being seriously disabled, being disfigured or dying.
- Almost one in 10 young adults (9%) were severely neglected by parents or guardians during childhood.
- Neglect is the most common reason for a child to be the subject of a child protection
Research
statistics on the prevalence of child neglect
- One in 6 (16%) young adults were neglected at some point during childhood with one in 10 young adults (9%) severely neglected during childhood.
- One in 7 (13.3%) secondary school children have been neglected at some point, with one in 10 children (9.8%) severely neglected.
- One in 20 (5%) of children under 11 have been neglected at some point, with one in 30 (3.7%) severely neglected.
Children's
needs
The basic needs of a child that should be
met by a parent or primary carer are simple, but the neglect of any one of
these needs can have a profound effect on their development.
From birth all children need:
- Food
- Shelter
- Safety
- Protection
- Emotional simulation.
The main reason that why
the children are neglected:
- Fighting in between parents
- Now every things go to about the money only not the caring.
Very Low Self Esteem : It is a very general consequence of parental
fighting which occurs in children. They may feel very low of themselves,
consider themselves out-caste and abstain from social interaction at school and
play. This feeling usually gets prolonged and leads to a seriously unhappy
life. Such children fall easy prey to bullying and social abuse.
Poor Self Confidence : The feeling starts from
when the child sees that he cannot stop his parents from fighting. The feelings
lead to extensive feeling of low confidence at other places and activities like
studies and extra-curricular activities. The child tends to socially isolate
him and start hating and feeling negative about him all the time.
Induced Fear, Trauma and Shock:The
violent atmosphere at home leads to permanent feelings of fear. He tends to fear the slightest scene of violence and is
traumatized by loud voices, smallest of gatherings and tends to develop fear
inducing hallucinations. All this leads to frequent trauma and shock. The
holistic development of the child is destroyed and such tendencies show
evidence in poor academic performance and poor feedback at school.
Mental Abuse:Mental
abuse can be all these effects combined with the feelings of loneliness and deprivation. You should know that any kind of abuse to the child is punishable
under the court of law and you are guilty in this case. Such abuse to a child
remains inside him for a major time of lifespan and he is not able to attain
stability at any point and frame in his life.
Loss of Parental Feelings and
Respect : It
pains when the child you loved and cared for suddenly walks up to you, says bad
things and leaves and never comes back. Parents do not realize the reasons
behind this but in most cases fighting parents are the cause.
Escapist Tendencies: Escapist
tendencies lead to rebellious nature in the long run. This happens due to brain
washing in the wrong company of friends or peers. This sort of activity may
render your child into the world of crime. As such children seek understanding
outside, shrewd people tend to take advantage of this fact and exploit them.
Profound inferiority Complex : One
of the most noted consequences of parental quarrels is the feeling of
inferiority induced in children. When they see classmates or other children in
the neighborhood in good parental company they feel inferior about having
dismal parents. This complex slowly creeps in and spreads to other aspects of
their professional and personal lives later on.
Acute Depression : In
worse cases a dangerous mental condition of depression develops. This general
happens with female children. It is accompanied by fits, epilepsy and suicidal
tendencies. Chronic feelings of loneliness, inferiority and mental imbalance
may lead to a very unhealthy and devastating life.
Exposure to other kinds of Abuse : Another
consequence which develops later on in reference to escapism and gullibility is
the exposure to other kinds of abuse like physical, sexual, drugs and alcohol.
This again leads to all other kinds of trauma and leads to a life which is
propelled to destruction.
Conclusion
Children are
our Nation’s most precious resource, but as children, they often lack the
skills to protect themselves. It is our responsibility, as parents and
teachers, to safeguard children and to teach them the skills to be safe.
A parent is the best person to
teach a child
LISTEN to your
children
TEACH your children
Get INVOLVED
PRACTICE safety skills with your child.
This will surely improve your Parent and child Relationship.
