Neglect
Neglect is a failure to provide for the child's basic needs. The types of neglect are:
physical
educational
emotional
Physical neglect
Physical neglect is not providing for a child's physical needs, including:
inadequate provision of food, housing, or clothing appropriate for season or weather
lack of supervision
expulsion from the home or refusal to allow a runaway to return home
abandonment
denial or delay of medical care
inadequate hygiene
Educational neglect
Educational neglect is the failure to enroll a child of mandatory school age in school or to provide necessary special education. This includes allowing excessive truancies from school.
Emotional (psychological) neglect
Emotional neglect is a lack of emotional support and love, such as:
not attending to the child's needs, including need for affection
failure to provide necessary psychological care
domestic violence in the child's presence, such as spousal or partner abuse
drug and alcohol abuse in the presence of the child, or allowing the child to participate in drug and alcohol use
When authorities examine emotional neglect, they take into consideration cultural values and standards of care, as well as the level of family income, which may interfere with proper care.
Some overlap exists between the definitions of emotional abuse and emotional neglect; regardless, they are both child abuse.
