Child Neglect

Different forms of neglect: Neglect usually occurs within different spheres of a child’s life. As such, five main categories are used to classify the different kinds of neglect they experience - physical, emotional, educational, medical, and inadequate supervision.

1. Physical Neglect is the most frequently occurring form of neglect in the United States. This very broad category encompasses the wide range of basic survival needs that children depend upon adults to provide. Subcategories of physical neglect include:

1. Abandonment: Desertion of a child without arranging for her reasonable care or supervision. Children who are not picked up within a two-day time frame are usually considered to be abandoned.


2. Expulsion: This is considered to be blatant refusal of custody and examples would include a parent kicking a child out of the home without ensuring that care for the child is provided by some other means or person. Refusal to allow a runaway child back into the home is another example of expulsion.


3. Shuttling: A child is repeatedly left in the custody of others for days or weeks at a time. This practice may be attributable to a parent or caregiver’s unwillingness to maintain custody of the child.


4. Nutritional: Failure to properly feed a child or allowing him to repeatedly go hungry for long periods of time.


5. Clothing: Failure to provide clothing appropriate for living and weather conditions.


6. Other Physical Neglect: Failure to ensure proper hygiene and different forms of reckless disregard for a child’s welfare and safety fall into this category.

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