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Nearly 30% of children experience neglect annually
A significant portion of children and adolescents experience at least one manifestation of child neglect each year, according to recent research in Public Health.
“This study has shown that neglectful behaviors affect children of all ages in the general population, regardless of their gender,” Marie-Ève Clément, PhD, of the department of psychology at the University of Quebec in Ottawa, and colleagues wrote. “Moreover, it confirms the findings of studies conducted in youth protection showing that the factors associated with reports of neglectful behaviors toward children depend on the parent’s gender.”
The researchers conducted telephone interviews with 3,298 mothers and 1,104 fathers of children aged 6 months to 15 years in Quebec during 2012. Neglect was measured using the short version of the Parent-Report Multidimensional Neglectful Behavior Scale. This scale covers four categories of neglect: emotional, cognitive, supervision and physical. The interviews included questions ranging from, “Do you hug or kiss the child?” to “Do you leave the child alone in a motor vehicle?”.
Study data indicated that 25.9% (95% CI, 23.4-28.5) of children aged 6 months to 4 years, 29.4% (95% CI, 26.6-32.4) of children aged 5 to 9 years and 20.6% (95% CI, 18.2-23.1) of children aged 10 to 15 years experienced some type of neglect within the past year. The most common type of neglect for children aged 6 months to 4 years (20.2%) and those aged 5 to 9 years (22.4%) was being left alone in a motor vehicle. The most common form of neglect among older children was failure to make sure they arrived at school in the morning.
The researchers wrote that mothers who perceived high parental stress and those who consumed drugs and alcohol were more likely to neglect children (P < .05). Fathers were more likely to neglect children due to work- and poverty-related stress (P < .05).
“Our study reaffirms that considerable attention should be paid to parental neglect, as it targets children of all ages from infancy to adolescence,” Clément and colleagues wrote. “It is an insidious form of maltreatment because it is marked by the absence rather than the presence of harsh behaviors or remarks. However, it leaves the children with permanent scars affecting many aspects of their development.” – by David Costill
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
