Neglect

BRIEF SUMMARY

Neglect is the failure of a parent or other caregiver to provide for a child’s basic needs.

KEY POINTS

• Neglect generally includes the following categories:
  • Physical (e.g., failure to provide necessary food or shelter, lack of appropriate supervision)
  • Medical (e.g., failure to provide necessary medical or mental health treatment, withholding medically indicated treatment from children with life-threatening conditions)
  • Educational (e.g., failure to educate a child or attend to special education needs)
  • Emotional (e.g., inattention to a child’s emotional needs, failure to provide psychological care, permitting a child to use alcohol or other drugs)
• A child who exhibits the following signs may be a victim of neglect:
  • is frequently absent from schoolƒ
  • begs or steals food or moneyƒ
  • lacks needed medical care (including immunizations), dental care, or glassesƒIs
  • is consistently dirty and has severe body odorƒ
  • lacks sufficient clothing for the weatherƒ
  • abuses alcohol or other drugsƒ
  • states that there is no one at home to provide care

RESOURCES

• What Is Child Abuse and Neglect? Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms (Children’s Bureau)
• Educational Neglect (Indiana Department of Education)

SHARED WISDOM

• Educational neglect in Indiana:
  • A child age 5 or 6 is currently or was previously enrolled in school, and the parent is now refusing to allow or failing to support the child in attending school or receiving homeschooling. Consider number of absences in the current year (less than 10 unexcused absences should not be considered educational neglect), attempts to engage the parents, and parents’ response to these attempts.
  • A child is age 7-12 and there is unreasonable delay, refusal, or failure on the part of the caregiver to seek, obtain, and/or maintain education for the child. Consider number of absences in the current year (less than 10 unexcused absences should not be considered educational neglect), attempts to engage the parents, and parents’ response to these attempts.
  • A child is age 13 or older, enrolled in school, and not attending to the extent that educational neglect is present.
    • • Child has over ten (10) unexcused absences during the current school year;
      • Caregiver has been made aware of the situation; AND
      • Information provided indicates that the caregiver refuses to allow or appears unable to support the child in attending school

CONTENT FEEDBACK

If you have suggestions, feedback, or resources, please email counselor1stop@inspiresuccess.org and let us know.