Characteristics of Neglected Children and their Families

by Child Welfare Information Gateway

(Page 4 of 6)

There are two reports that provide the most comprehensive data on the characteristics of neglected children and their families. The first is the National Incidence Study-3 (NIS-3), which sampled 35 CPS agencies around the country and looked at both children served by CPS as well as children identified by community professionals as being in danger of harm due to abuse or neglect. The second report is Child Maltreatment 1999, which is based on the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS). NCANDS collects data from all CPS agencies in the United States regarding their services.

According to these two reports, boys and girls are neglected at approximately the same rates. Findings regarding the children's age, however, differed between the two studies. The NIS-3 reports that that children ages 6 and older suffer from neglect at higher rates than children 5 and under. Child Maltreatment 1999 reports that the rates of neglect are highest for children ages 0-3 and decrease as children get older.

The NIS-3 reports that the lowest income families (earning less than $15,000 per year) have the highest rates of neglect. NIS-3 estimates that 27 out of every 1,000 children are neglected in these families while the neglect rate for children living in families that earn more than $30,000 per year is less than 1 in 1,000 children. The NIS-3 also reports that neglect occurs more often in single parent families and in families with four or more children.

Schumacher, Slep & Heyman (in press) reviewed 10 studies completed between 1974 and 1998 in which risk factors for neglect were identified. Some of the strongest associations were found between neglect and:

• Poverty
• Parental substance abuse
• Parental impulsivity
• Parental low self-esteem
• A lack of social support for the family.

Some practitioners believe that untreated depression also is common among neglecting mothers, but there has been little research to substantiate this. Brown, Cohen, Johnson and Salzinger identified 21 risk factors associated with neglect and found that as the number of risk factors increases, the risk for neglect increases.

It is important to point out, though, that the profile and risk factors for neglected children and their families are likely to vary significantly across types of neglect. For example, the characteristics and risk factors for a family in which a baby has been abandoned are likely to be very different than those for a family who refuses medical care for their teenager. More targeted research is needed to more fully understand the risk factors for various types of neglect in order to inform prevention and treatment programs.

What are the Consequences of Neglect?

"Neglect is a complex, multifaceted problem that can have profound effects on children". Research has shown that neglected children are at risk for a number of behavioral, social, academic, and medical problems. Citing numerous studies, Dubowitz states that some of the consequences include problems with attachment, low self-esteem, increased dependency, and anger, impaired cognitive development and academic achievement, and a risk for delinquent behavior. Egeland did a study showing that, as children get older, the effects of neglect become more severe. He refers to this as the "cumulative malignant effects" of neglect.

Medical problems may be a result of malnutrition, which can result in deformities and life-long poor health. Non-organic Failure To Thrive (NFTT) is a condition found in infants in which their height and weight are below the fifth percentile, when once they were within a normal range. The diagnosis of NFTT indicates that there is no medical, or organic, reason for the infant's condition, and it is therefore attributable to an inability of the parents to physically care for the child. NFTT can result in continued growth problems, school failure, and possible retardation. Munkel adds that extreme neglect can result in death. "Neglected children suffer hurts in their bodies, their minds, their emotions, and their spirits".

Resilience

While the potential for severe negative consequences from childhood neglect exists, there has been some research into the effects of "protective factors" that promote resilience among neglected children. In general, this research has looked at factors that can mediate the effects of neglect, so the child is able to maintain healthy functioning in spite of the adversities. Protective factors can include individual characteristics such as intelligence, creativity, initiative, humor, and independence, or external factors such as access to good health care and a family's social support system, including alternative caregivers. The probability of "resilience" as an outcome increases when the number or significance of protective factors is sufficient to counteract the vulnerabilities or risk factors. In other words, if a child suffers from neglect (e.g., his parents did not feed or clothe him adequately), he may not suffer long-term severe consequences if he also has some protective factors such as a spirit of independence, creativity, or access to other caregivers.

Fatal Neglect

Certainly the most severe, irrecoverable consequence of neglect is death. In 1996, a review of the States' child maltreatment fatalities revealed that 45 percent of the deaths were attributed to neglect and an additional 3 percent to neglect and abuse. Although not all States reported the data, it is estimated that these percentages translate into approximately 502 child deaths associated with neglect in 1996. Another study conducted in Iowa (which only had a sample size of 34) found that two-thirds of the children who died from neglect were under the age of 2, more than two-thirds were male, and families had an average of 3.3 children. This study also found that the large majority of children who died due to neglect died as a result of a single life-threatening incident rather than from chronic neglect. These fatalities included drowning and scalding in bathtubs, fires, unsafe cribs, gun accidents, choking, and drug/alcohol overdoses. "In the vast majority of fatalities from neglect, a caregiver was simply not there when needed at a critical moment".

About the Author

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