Types of child neglect

Under the definition of child neglect, there exist six types of neglect that must be identified: medical neglect, nutritional neglect, emotional neglect, educational neglect, physical neglect, and lack of supervision and guidance.
 
Medical neglect is dangerous because it puts the life of the child in danger, especially since there have been cases where children are discovered when they are already suffering. A child reaches this degree of danger only when a parent or care-giver minimizes or deny a child’s illness or health needs. Medical care is especially important to vulnerable children that require special help, therefore, medical neglect also includes failing to care for dental care, optical care, speech and language therapy, and physiotherapy.

Nutritional neglect is when a parent or care-giver pays little or no attention to the child’s diet and eating habits. When a baby is born it is easy to keep up with the baby’s diet since it only consists of milk through the first six months, however, after the sixth month the baby starts requiring more time and food to have a healthy growth. When the adult care-giver does not provide the child this type of nutritional attention the child then fails to thrive, or in other words, the child fails to grow physically in terms of weight, height, and head circumference as well as psychologically . This too can be reversed, meaning that the care-giver might not pay attention to how much healthy or junk food the child consumes daily leading the child into obesity and, if the eating pattern of the child continues unattended, into a disorder like diabetes. 


Emotional neglect is revealed when a child shows low self-esteem and conforms to low expectations. These self-esteem damages are engraved in a children’s sense of self-worth, when a parent or care-giver acts indifferent or fails to interact with them. Officials that have experience in working with emotionally neglected children and their parents, have found a connection between the parents’ own experience of emotional neglect in their childhood, and their lack of awareness and ignorance towards their children. Whatever the case or the cause, emotional neglect has a tremendous impact on the child’s growth and development that will be evident in their older years.

Educational neglect is one of the reasons why school staff starts noticing when a child is being neglected by the parents, little by little, when the parent doesn’t submit to state requirements concerning school attendance. Submitting to school attendance requirements is just a small part, showing interest in child’s success, progress and learning skills is a big part of providing educational attention as well. Educational neglect too, has tremendous impact on a children’s learning development that harms them later on academically.

Physical neglect is one of the most obvious or familiar to spectators, and it can lead to emotional and health issues. Children that are part of this issue usually have poor hygienic appearance, dress with unclean clothes, seem tired or sleepy most of the time, and keep their distance from their peers since they feel different than the others. However, that is just the first impression physical neglected children give, but most of them also live in houses with poor hygienic and/or safe conditions.

42% of adolescents that got little or no supervision and guidance while they were infants commit crimes, while only 20% of adolescents that did get supervision and guidance commit crimes. Lack of guidance has regretful results when the child reaches the age where they get introduced to sex, drugs, alcohol, etc, since they are particularly vulnerable when unsupervised. Melendez works at a local High School as a Parent Involvement agent, she declares “how sad it is to meet students (of age of up to 18) with this type of problem”, when a child is deprived of supervision and guidance “the result is catastrophic, it is something that affects their character and self esteem which leads to revolt. In many cases this is the reason of unexpected pregnancies amongst young girls, and drug addictions” . But supervision and guidance is needed at a very early age consider a 12 month old babe; as soon as the babe is left alone to feed themselves or in the bath, or when a parent leaves medication in a place where a preschooler under 5 years of age can reach the pills, it is considered lack of proper supervision. When a parent is intoxicated and therefore leaves the preschooler unattended, or when a primary school child of 8 years of age is left cooking a meal without attendance, even if children of 11-16 years of age are left alone at home with younger siblings, it is also considered lack of supervision.