Chapter 7 Child neglect PDF

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Child neglect ...

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Chapter 7 Child neglect Introduction     

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Child neglect is the most common form of maltreatment Arthur green, reported that neglect cases outnumbered those of physical abuse by 11:1 in 1987 1988 903,000 victims of child maltreatment nationwide Neglect is more prevalent than other forms of child abuse Prevention child abuse (PCA) America issued a joint report with the centers for diseases control and prevention (CDC) that indicates that in 2000 there were 879,000 cases of child maltreatment with 515,800 (63%) categorized as neglect Neglect is less obvious than physical or sexual abuse and can continue for many years without any outsiders knowing It has many faces, forms and appearances There are serious cases in which a child’s life is threatened and more mundane acts where the child is neglected on a daily basis

What constitutes child neglect?  

Child neglect- The negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child by a parent or caretaker under circumstances indicating harm or threatened harm to the child’s health or welfare Child neglect covers a wide range of activities or omissions that impact on the physical and emotional well-being of a child

Extent of Problem  

Scholars have stated that child neglect is the most common form of maltreatment. The reported cases of neglect outnumbered those of physical abuse by eleven to one in New York

CAUSES OF NEGLECT 

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Are poor children neglected and rich children well cared for? o Society equate poverty with neglect, but simply being poor does not make a neglectful parent. There are children who live in million-dollar homes but are neglected or psychologically abused on a daily basis. The causes of neglect are varied and wide ranging. Causes of neglect are varied and wide ranging Polansky book “damaged parents: an anatomy of child neglect” established thee major causes of neglect o Economic theory o Ecological theory o Personalistic theory

Alerts     

No single set of factors establishes a clearly defined line dividing neglect and poor parenting Certain physical acts by children should alert teachers, nurses, social workers and others to look for the reasons for these actions Professionals should not only be alert to Physical indications of neglect, but also watch for emotional or psychological indications that may signal child neglect or maltreatment. These factors may be normal stages of childhood development or may indicate a darker secret that should be examined One form of child neglect occurs prior to the preschool years and can be life threatening

Child abuse prevention and treatment act (CAPTA)   

Provides the foundation for a national definition of child abuse and neglect No single set of factors establishes a clearly defined line dividing neglect and poor parenting Any list must be viewed with caution

Failure to thrive       

An identifiable medical diagnosis Means different things to different groups This designation classifies children whose developments is deficient in relation to the established norms and who’s physical condition is incompatible with viability and growth One perspective is that failure to thrive is a result of the parents failure to meet the nutritional needs of their children Not so clear is the cause of this condition May be disease based or organically caused or may be attributed to nonorganic or family causes A physical condition that results from the parents inability to care physically for the child

Nonorganic failure to thrive (NFTT)

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is diagnosed by two factors The infant is under the 5% in both height and weight The infant at one time weighed and was of a height within the expected norm Failure to treat can result in death of the infant- child simply wastes away and dies Children exhibit o Emaciation o Paleness o Weakness with little subcutaneous fat o Decreased muscle mass o Listless o Apathetic o Emotionless Main cause for this condition. is the lack of adequate calories, the roots of NFTT can normally be associated with the lack of parent child relationship

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Long term effects are nor easily remedied o Continued growth problems, school failure, psychological problems, and retardation

Is the concept of failure to thrive misleading?

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Ruth Kempe and Richard Goldbloom argued that the term failure to thrive is misleading in that the condition may be caused either by disease or by a nonorganic cause They have used the term malnutrition and growth retardation or growth failure without other disease to describe the same or similar symptoms

Emotional neglect      

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Acts or omission that are judged by community standards and professional expertise to be psychological damaging to the child Is a specific form of abuse that should be examined independently May not be any physical signs on a child The “scars” are implanted on the child’s mind as a result of the caretakers’ actions or inactions One of the most difficult forms of child neglect to prove Considered as nonphysical behavior or attitude that o controls, intimidates, subjugates, demeans, punishes or isolates another person by using degradation, humiliation or fear o Includes: Yelling screaming and name calling Results in o Depression, confusion, difficulty concentrating and making decisions, overwhelming feelings or worthlessness, hopelessness and poor physical health Effects child psychological stability May cause behavioral, cognitive or physical problems in the child Children may suffer from feelings of inadequacy, isolation or being unwanted or inloved May have low self-esteem Categories of emotional neglect o Spurning or rejecting the child o Isolating the child o Terrorizing the child o Corrupting the child o Denying the child emotional responses Emotional abuse is also known as psychological abuse or maltreatment

Other types of child neglect Dirty homes

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Living situations that expose the child to injury or life-threatening illnesses EX o Exposed wiring

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o Shattered or broken glass o Animal feces o Lice or rodents Home Accident prevention inventory was developed to measure the safety of the home environment Having sink full of dishes for days is nor neglect Discovery of dirty homes may be made by police officers, welfare works, social workers, nurses, or teachers Dirty home is result of extreme poverty Serious type of unsafe home environment is a home used to produce methamphetamines Usually require an expert witness to testify

Drugs and alcohol

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Parents who use drugs cannot properly supervises their children Concerns of mothers who use drugs or alcohol during pregnancy o Cocaine may cause a variety of problems during and after pregnancy o Marijuana more than once a month increases risk of delivering a preterm, low weight infant o Alcohol is one of the most commonly abused substances in the U.S  One of the leading causes of mental retardation in children

Medical neglect

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Heinemann’s appeal o Established the principle that when parents fail to provide medical care for their children, the state may intervene to do so o Father refused to seek medical care for his wife and three children who suffered from diphtheria. All four died Religious belief is one of the most emotional and hard-fought battles dealing with medical neglect The state has a right and obligation to protect its citizens and especially children who cannot make informed decisions for themselves

Abandonment

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Parental conduct that indicates a conscious rejection of the obligations of parenthood It may take may forms and is usually established by presenting evidence of the parents leaving the child without proper care or custody. Sanction for abandonment may be termination of the parental rights...