Child Neglect Flashcards
Neglect definition
When the parent or caretaker fails to provide for the child’s needs.
Neglect Includes experience in which a caretaker
either deliberately or by extraordinary inattentiveness
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permits the child to experience avoidable suffering
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or
fails to provide one or more of the ingredients generally essential for nurturing the development of
physical
intellectual
emotional
capabilities
Definitions of neglect that emphasize parental blame and/or responsibility may…
focus so narrowly that they fail to understand the caretaker’s circumstances
Inclusion of social factors such as SES in the definition underscores?
the complexity of defining neglectful behaviours
Neglect is typically viewed as an act of ??? vs ???
Neglect is an Act of omission vs commission
Speak to the scope of the problem
It is the most frequently reported form of child abuse.
Scholars typically assess severity of neglect according to?
severity of neglect
Any given behaviour can be interpreted as neglectful or not depending on 3 factors:
Severity of consequences
Frequency and duration
Cultural issues
According to Roberta’s slides, where is the conundrum with neglect?
Difficult to identify and document what did not happen.
Severity of consequences
*
The severity of neglect is referred to in the text as?
Harm standard vs. endangerment standard
Severity of consequences
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How is severity of consequences assessed?
according how serious the consequences to the child or the degree of demonstrable harm
Severity of consequences
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What are 2 problems with including a criterion of demonstrable harm?
- some outcomes are difficult to measure and prove in court
* some delayed consequences will not be readily identified (children may not be harmed immediately or directly)
Severity of consequences
*
Because neglect is hard to measure and children may not be harmed immediately or directly – this is a dilemma – what was put in place?
An endangerment standard
Severity of consequences
*
The endangerment standard allows for?
Reporting of cases in which children demonstrated no actual harm (the harm standard), but in which potential harm is probable.
Frequency and duration
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Describe chronically neglectful families
A pattern of behaviours are often a result of multiple problems and deficits, including lack of knowledge, skills and tangible resources
Frequency and duration
*
Chronically neglectful families require?
multiple interventions and supports for long duration
Frequency and duration
*
Describe NONchronically neglectful families
have experienced recent significant crises (divorce) that overwhelms their normally sufficient coping abilities. This causes them to become neglectful
Frequency and duration
*
NONchronically neglectful families require?
short-term, crisis intervention and stress management support
Frequency and duration
*
A single incident might be considered?
parental error and a normal part of parenting.
Cultural issues
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Say more
The age at which a child is seen to be capable of certain responsibilities differs. Social context of a family’s culture/beliefs is important factor in defining and intervening in child neglect.
Canadian Statistics in Review – 1998 study name?
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What did it review?
Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect
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Children who were reported to, and investigated by, child welfare services during a three-month period.
Canadian Statistics in Review – what did it show
50% of reports of failure to supervise/protect physically were substantiated 20% substantiated cases of physical neglect Everything else (educational neglect, permitting criminal behaviour, etc.) was around 10%
Characteristics of Neglected Children
• Age –
• Gender –
• Ethnicity –
- Age – younger children at higher risk
- Gender – no difference
- Ethnicity – linked to socio-economic status
The risk of neglect _____ with age of the children?
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_____ _____ is higher with younger children
*
_____ _____ emotional neglect increases for older children.
The risk of neglect decreases with age of the children.
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Physical neglect is higher with younger children
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Emotional neglect increases for older children.
First Nations children have a higher risk of? (2)
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What is the connection there? What is the connection to higher levels of trauma in the community at large for First Nations people?
neglect and being poor
Characteristics of Neglectful Parents
Who are likely to be most neglectful?
Age of parents?
Who are more likely to be reported as neglectful?
Birth parents more likely to be neglectful
Age varies so inconclusive
Gender – mothers more likely to be identified
Why are mothers more likely to be reported for neglect?
Gender – societal construction of the role + responsibilities of mothers = primary care givers so more likely to be reported.
Canadian Picture -Canadian Incidence Study 2003 * 8 types of neglect recognized * Failure to: SOS * Neglect: PME * AP
Failure to:
• supervise or protect, leading to physical harm
• obtain tx for mental, emotional or developmental problems
• supervise or protect, leading to sexual harm
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Neglect:
• physical
• medical
• educational
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Abandonment or refusal to care for
Permitting maladjusted or criminal behaviour
Here is a look at substantiated cases of all 8 types of neglect
Failure to
supervise – 35% (physical harm??)
provide psychological Treatment – 2%
supervise – sexual – 4%
Neglect:
• physical – 32%
• medical – 6%
• educational – 8%
Abandonment 11%
Criminal behaviour 2%
Agencies invest significant amounts of time and services in these families. In one study, involvement of social services.
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In one study Roberta mentioned, neglectful families needed about 60 months of supervision. Despite this amount of time…
The study also assessed the potential for child abuse in these families and found that, despite the amount of time the agency was involved, the potential didn’t change. It remained high.
Aspects of mothers’ situations which predict increased potential for neglect (5)
LLL HF
Limited education Living alone Lack of biological mother in their support system Having more than three children Family violence towards the children
Aspects of mothers’ situations which predict increased potential: Limited education Living alone Lack of biological mother in their support system Having more than three children Family violence towards the children * These factors are related to?
both the mothers’ current situation and their past histories
What are the 3 critical variables for mothers?
Mental health problems
Childhood foster care placements
Past trauma
Childhood trauma in the lives of mothers influenced their potential for …
all types of maltreatment –
emotional / physical / sexual abuse
emotional / physical neglect
Mothers with moderate childhood trauma had considerably higher mean scores for…
in comparison to…
emotional abuse and sexual abuse
than
those who had experienced severe childhood trauma
Household characteristics
Compared to other investigated families…
*
2 points re. households where neglect takes place
• Least likely to have FT employment – 41%
• 34% identified as receiving some type of benefits
(EI, social assistance)
Housing
Purchased homes?
Private market rentals or public housing?
Moving?
Smaller proportion of child victims were living in purchased homes – 19%
Living in private market rentals or public housing – 68%
More likely to have moved at least once in the past 12 months – 35%
Consequences of neglect (4)
SPEC
Social and attachment difficulties
Cognitive and academic deficits
Emotional and behavioural problems
Physical consequences
Consequences of neglect • Social and attachment difficulties (3) • Cognitive and academic deficits • Emotional and behavioural problems • Physical consequences
- disturbed parent/child attachment
- disturbed parent/child interactions
- disturbed peer interactions
Consequences of neglect • Social and attachment difficulties * Social and attachment – difficulty in social adjustment. Attachment is disturbed for these children. These problems continue throughout? * How do they show up?
elementary school
Consequences of neglect • Social and attachment difficulties * How do problems show up in elementary school? CAPS
communication problems
aggression and anger
poor social skills with peers
socially withdrawn
Consequences of neglect • Social and attachment difficulties • Cognitive and academic deficits (4) • Emotional and behavioural problems • Physical consequences * LOAP
DEFICITS IN Language abilities Overall intelligence Academic skills Problem-solving
Consequences of neglect • Social and attachment difficulties • Cognitive and academic deficits • Emotional and behavioural problems (4) • Physical consequences
- apathy/withdrawal
- low self esteem
- physical/verbal aggression
- difficulty recognizing + discriminating emotions
Consequences of neglect • Social and attachment difficulties • Cognitive and academic deficits • Emotional and behavioural problems • Physical consequences (4)
As children • death • failure to thrive as infants * LT • cognitive deficits • psychiatric disorders
The experience of child neglect results in significant developmental problems that are…?
cumulative across development
Negative outcomes are similar
across developmental stages
Interventions (2)
Parenting education
Identifying high risk parents
How are high risk parents identified? (2)
Prenatal classes
Assessed when having baby in hospital
Examples of intervention programs in MB? (4)
Triple P parenting program CATC
Healthy Child home visitors
Elswood and Crocus Plains parenting classes
Teen parent programs
