Child neglect is the most prevalent form of child maltreatment, with serious and long-term consequences. It is also the least clearly defined, understood, and publicly recognized. Neglect can be characterized as occurring in different, but often overlapping domains. These include physical (e.g., failure to provide necessary food or shelter, or lack of appropriate supervision), medical (e.g., failure to provide necessary medical or mental health treatment), educational (e.g., failure to educate a child or attend to special education needs), and emotional (e.g., inattention to a child’s emotional needs, failure to provide psychological care, or permitting the child to use alcohol or other drugs).
