Neglect

         Neglect is offend ignored, due to the fact that not many people know what to do when the find out about a situation where a child is being neglected. Neglect is also overlooked some times due to the fact that it is not always as noticeable as physical abuse. Since it is some times not that noticeable, there are secretion signs that you should look for if you think a child might be neglected. There are four major types of neglect; physical, educational, emotional, and medical. For each of these four types there are different indicators you should look for. Neglect is also some times over looked because of a certain culture or a communities way of life.    

        Child neglect is not just segregated to one area or region. Child neglect is something happens every where. Although it has been shown that neglect is more likely to accrue in larger families and or lower income families. Large families run into issues with the parents being able to provide for all their children with the things they need, like clothing, food, healthcare, and nurturing. This is due to the fact that their paychecks have to provide for more than a normal size family home. In addition with a larger family it is more difficult for a parent to show each child love and compassion. Just like in a larger family, lower income families are not always about to provide their children with the things the need to maintain a healthy and happy life. Most of the time, parents of lower income house holds work multiple jobs, which either leaves the child home alone or costs them more for a babysitter. In most situations of neglect, the three major contributors are the lack of time, money, and knowledge. Many parents are unaware of the ways in which they can receive the help they need to be able provide for their children’s needs or are just simply unwilling to use resources provided. Many parents are not willing to admit that they are incapable of providing for their children, but by doing this, they put there children’s health and well being at risk. In many of these cases, the government has to step in for the sake of the children’s welfare. 

       Another contributing factor to neglect are culture and the standards of care in the community. In the United States of America, we are extremely blessed to have the resources to provide for our children and all of the things they need. However, this is not the case in other parts of the world. In places such as South America and Africa, parents struggle to be able to provide their children with one meal a day. This means they do not have the money to take their child to the doctor if they get sick or to send them to school or even buy them clothes that properly fit their children. Many of these families are not provided with the resources that we have here. In some cultures, it is common for a parent to leave a child to fend for themselves or they are seen more of an object than a person. Many times parents will sell one or more of their children just so they are able to feed and take care of their other children and themselves. The children that are sold are usually sold as child work slaves or as sex slaves.

      If someone believes a child is being neglected, in any way, there are signs they should look for. The most noticeable indicators is poor hygiene, such as dirty skin, body odor, unwashed hair, unclean clothes or clothes that do not properly fit. There are also the indicators of poor health and malnutrition. Children who are malnourished will do just about anything for food, such as beg, steal and even rummage through the garbage. Malnutrition leads to poor health, which is usually gone untreated in a home where the child is neglected. Things that teachers should be concerned about, if they notice these things in a student: the child cries easily when slightly hurts, comes to school without breakfast or with no lunch or money for lunch, falls asleep in class, does not want to go home, has a poor self image, or has trouble with school work.( Some children will show one of these indicators but a child that has been neglected shows more than one or all of these signs.  

     Neglect is something that happens everywhere and can happen to almost any child who is having any kind of issues at home. Each child neglect case happens for a different reason. However, when it comes down to it, there is only one main reason neglect happens. Child neglect occurs because the parent is incapable of providing their child with basic needs and no one stands up to defend the child.