Preventing Child Neglect: It’s More than a Family Matter

T HE S EARCH FOR A D EFINITION While there is no singular definition of child neglect, a generic statement that is unlikely to be refuted is: Child Neglect is a failure to meet children’s basic needs – whether the failure is the responsibility of parents, communities, or society – and this void places children in harm’s way.

C ONCEPTUALIZING N EGLECT Parental neglect of children Societal neglect of families Societal neglect of communities Community neglect of families

B ASICS OF C HILD N EGLECT  Neglect is not one monolithic category –  physical, medical, emotional & educational neglect, & inadequate supervision  Dominant and most pervasive form of CA/N  70% of all child fatalities (2012)  Only type of CA/N that has not declined over time  More likely to recur than other forms of CA/N  When recurring, cumulative impacts to child over time  Can seriously impair child’s physical, cognitive, & social and emotional development

B ASICS OF C HILD N EGLECT No Single Cause of Neglect Four Evidence-Informed Characteristics that contribute to or are associated with child neglect  Low socio-economic status  Maternal depression and mental health disorders  Substance abuse  Interpersonal violence

C OSTS OF C HILD N EGLECT N ON -F ATAL V ICTIMS Lifetime Costs: $210,012 per victim  $32,648 childhood health care  $10,530 adult medical costs  $144,360 productivity losses  $7,728 child welfare costs  $6,747 criminal justice costs  $7,999 special education costs F ATAL V ICTIMS Lifetime Costs: $1,272,900 per victim  $14,100 medical costs  $1,258,800 productivity losses Total Lifetime Economic Burden of fatal & non-fatal child maltreatment (2008): $124 billion (Fang, et al., 2012)

Understanding Neglect within an Ecological System

R ESOURCES FROM THE N ATIONAL A LLIANCE OF C HILDREN ’ S T RUST AND P REVENTION F UNDS