Child Neglect
Different forms of neglect: (continued)
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2. Emotional Neglect is more difficult to assess and legally substantiate. The consequences of it, however, are devastating and reach far into adulthood. Emotional neglect is oftentimes reported secondarily to other kinds of maltreatment, such as physical or sexual abuse. Subcategories of emotional neglect include the following:
- Inadequate nurturing or affection: The persistent, marked inattention to a child’s needs for affection, emotional support, or attention. Failure to acknowledge a child’s presence or actively refusing to respond to those needs.
- Verbal assaults and terrorizing: Constant belittling and name calling, threatening excessive punishment or creating a climate of terror by playing on a child’s fears.
- Chronic or extreme spousal abuse: Exposure to domestic violence.
- Permitted drug or alcohol abuse: The encouragement or permission by the caregiver of drug or alcohol use by the child.
- Other permitted bad behaviors: The parent is aware of the existence and seriousness of a problem, such as chronic delinquency, and fails to intervene to stop the behavior.
- Isolation: Denying a child the ability to interact or communicate with peers or adults either inside or outside of the home.
