Child Neglect Research Paper

He unlocked his front door and walked in; the house was empty again. He went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. There was no food, but it was not like he could go to the store to buy food anyway. So, the six year old turned on the television and fell asleep on the couch for the third school day in a row. Sadly, neglect occurs in America more than one would think. Through statistics and research on the subject, child neglect is shown to be a growing problem; it actually exceeds physical and sexual abuse. Child neglect is a serious form of abuse because it affects the way that children behave during their developmental years as well as into adulthood, but prevention could be obtained by requiring parents under thirty years old to take …show more content…
This vulnerability means that victims of neglect are usually children who are then subject to experience related trauma later in life. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System defines neglect as "a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so." (USDHHS, 2007) Nourishment, shelter and care should be things that a child with loving parents can easily take for granted. Unfortunately, child neglect is a growing problem. “About 12 out of every 1,000 children up to age 18 in the United States were found to be victims of maltreatment in 2005” (USDHHS, 2007). Child neglect has always been around. Although there may not be a specific beginning, it has always been around. “Today, many organizations have been created in order to prevent children from suffering from maltreatment and protect them from abuse and neglect. However, throughout most of history child abuse was accepted, and in many cases it was even encouraged” (Child …show more content…
In the United States statistics, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services show that children in the U.S. were abused or neglected at the rate of 1.23 percent and out of that number, 64.2 percent experienced neglect. There were 1,530 children who died of abuse or neglect. Roughly half of the victims were of each gender, with only a slightly higher rate of victims being female. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System define neglect as "a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care, although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so” (USDHHS, 2007). Neglect is a unique type of trauma because only children are inclined to be neglected. In order to be neglected, a person must be dependent on others for physical and emotional wellbeing. This vulnerability means that victims of child neglect are subject to experience related trauma later in

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