On Child Neglect

Children on the streets asking for alms are victims of child neglect. But not only kids from poor families experience being neglected because even those from rich families can be neglected. Child negligence is one thing that is happening around the world today and is a serious problem that needs to be solved the soonest. You will surely be alarmed in seeing the statistics below from National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children: 


Research statistics on the prevalence of child neglect

Child abuse and neglect in the UK today (Radford et al, 2011) is a major piece of NSPCC research which interviewed 1,761 young adults aged 18-24 years; 2,275 children aged 11-17 years and 2,160 parents of children aged under 11. Below are the key findings on child neglect by parents or guardians.

One in 6 (16%) young adults were neglected at some point during childhood with one in 10 young adults (9%) severely neglected during childhood.
(Based on interviews with 1,761 young adults aged 18-24 years).

One in 7 (13.3%) secondary school children have been neglected at some point, with one in 10 children (9.8%) severely neglected.
(Based on interviews with 2,275 children aged 11-17 years).

One in 20 (5%) of children under 11 have been neglected at some point, with one in 30 (3.7%) severely neglected.
(Based on interviews with 2,160 parents or guardians of children aged under 11 years).

Types of Child Negligence

There are different types of actions which can be considered as child neglect. Here are four types of child negligence:

1. Physical. When a parent fails to give the basic necessities like adequate food, clothing and shelter. It could also include the refusal to give those mentioned that would affect the well being, psychological growth and development of the child. Inadequate supervision, abandonment and rejection of a child is also included. 

2. Educational. When parents fail to send their kids to school or failed to educate their kids.

3. Emotional/Psychological. This one refers to the parent’s failure to provide psychological care. It can involve in extreme spousal abuse with the child’s presence. It can also include actions like allowing the child to use drugs, alcohol and threatening the child with extreme violence. If parents withhold affection and belittle a child constantly, that is also neglection.

4. Medical. When parents fail to give appropriate and necessary health care to the kids like medicines and others which risks the life of the child or resulting into the child’s disability.

Where to Help

If you would like to take bigger steps to stop child abuse and child neglect, you can try checking the websites of these organizations and foundations:

1. Unicef.
2. Make A Wish International.
3. Free A Girl.
4. Hope for the Poor Children.
5. More list here for children’s welfare.

But you can also do something in your own community in order to stop child neglect. Start with your own family and try to help others. Merely by increasing awareness can already be a huge help. You can also look for local organizations that work on projects for the benefits of little kids. Even the local government also have projects for this. Join them and make a difference now.

Child Neglect Video

I have created a video as an assignment in my Rhetoric Composing course. It is a public service announcement to increase awareness of child neglect.




Video Credits in order of appearance:
Binusarina, Islandtime, Source13 , Mentos18, Islandtime 2, Wired, Leftfootforward.org, lastwordspoken, Rothermrebeka, Prettyfreakjespe, Cellists, Violet-nova, Blackscarletlove, Anthonyasael, Megan1970

I have also created a poster to go with the video. You can see the poster at the beginning of this post. You can also check it on my Deviant Art gallery.