Introduction

“Child neglect has existed throughout the centuries. The nature of child neglect is affected by economic, social, political and cultural factors, e.g. as the economic situation gets worse, we see an increase in child neglect; in times of political and social change families are very stressed and we see an increase in child neglect; marking a child's face is seen in one culture as part of a child's tribal in heritage whereas it would be considered abusive by another culture group.
Child neglect is a very emotional subject and therefore it is important that we be guided by knowledge and understanding and not only by feelings. we need to be aware of the difference between what we disapprove of and what is really harmful to the child — this is very difficult.”

From: Gannon, B. & Beukes, K (1996) An Orientation to Child Youth Care. Cape Town: NACCW

Definitions

Two definitions of neglect follow:

"Child neglect occurs when the expectations of parenthood that are dominant in our culture are not met."

"From a legal perspective child neglect connotes a parent's conduct, usually thought of in terms of passive behaviour, that results in the failure to provide for the child's needs as defined by the preferred values of the community."

Note that these definitions include cultural and legal elements. The following areas of abuse and neglect have been identified:
Physical abuse
Common indications are bruises, weals, burns, fractures of limbs, brain and eye injuries, internal injuries, poisoning, drowning. Also, neglect, including a failure to meet the child's basic needs for food, warmth and comfort. An unpredictable and chaotic environment. Failure to thrive.

Emotional deprivation
Some indications are coldness and indifference, with alack of commitment to the child. There is disinterest in the child's affection needs. There are often excessive demands for advanced performance, with critical hostile attitudes towards failure, and cruel punishments.

Sexual abuse
This frequently includes incest and rape — more common than previously expected.

The above factors are often interlinked. The child's total environment is affected, and we speak of an "abusive or neglectful environment."

Issues

• They were abused themselves or subjected to over-harsh discipline;

• Many had experienced early separation from their own parents.

• They had a basic mistrust/inability to trust;

• They show an inability to form deep emotional relationships;

• They married in adolescence, often to a partner with similar problems;

• They became parents at an early age;

• Many abusive parents come from one-parent families or step families;

• There are many marital problems and often many children in the family;

• These families are typically isolated, and there is often mental illness and depression in these families.

• Overcrowded housing;

• Large families;

• Poverty, low income;

• Low educational qualification of parents;

• Unemployment;

• Low occupational status of parents combined with patterns of criminality, generalised violence, large families impulsive aggression.

Children’s problems
Children react in a variety of ways to being reared in an abusive environment.The children and young people you work with maybe affected in any of the following ways:

• Lack of basic trust;

• Lack of self-confidence and self-esteem;

• Feelings of guilt and ‘badness’;

• Having unfulfilled yearnings for affection;

• Being unable to see others’ needs;

• Impulsive behaviour;

• Selfishness and self-righteous attitudes;

• Withdrawal and isolation from social contacts.

• May not attain his full intellectual potential;

• Has trouble understanding basic cause and effect; Problems with logical think-lag;

• Confused thought processes;

• Difficulty in abstract thinking.

• May not express himself well;

• Poor physical co-ordination

• Poor social development;

• Poor conscience development: may not show normal anxiety following aggressive or cruel behaviour;

• Poor impulse control: relies on others to provide external controls on behaviour;

• Short attention span;

• Self-esteem is low, with an inability to gain satisfaction from tasks well done;

• Has difficulty in having fun;

• Lacks trust in others: demands attention but lacks depth in relationships;

• Emotionally dull; has difficulty recognising feelings; has trouble expressing feelings appropriately, especially anger, sadness and frustration.

Starting work with troubled children
The child care worker learns particular skills to work objectively with such children. This does not mean working coldly or indifferently, but with circumspection and maximum information as to what will build strengths and resources within the child. Your organisation may have considerable material resources, but the child and his family may have to learn to manage their lives with far less, and you have to help them to do that.

• As a child care worker you can never replace the child’s parent

• Your task includes not only caring for the child but supporting and strengthening the child’s relationship with his parents.

• Approximately 80% of the children in care will return to their parents before they turn 18 or after that birthday

• Never imagine that "Out of sight, out of mind" will help a child forget parents and home. The child may be physically separated from his parents for a time, but emotionally he is still deeply entwined with them.

• Remember that you are not working with a child but with a family, and that it is difficult to make progress with a child if the parents are not also included both in your consideration and in the treatment plan. This remains one of the greatest challenges in child and youth care practice.

Conclusion
The English psychiatrist Eva Frommer reminds us that for children in care, both function and development have been impaired. That is, there are immediate problems and blocks to be tackled to restore adequate function, so that development can be set on its course again.

A basic principle of life is that we need to be constantly growing or developing. If you are not growing you are, in fact, declining; there is no such thing as just standing still. This principle is very important in child care. Workers need to be well informed on the subject of child development; and the programme in the agency or organisation should always be designed in such a way that it actively promotes physical, social, intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth in the children.

Readings
Readings available on this site:

Neglect: back page news?
Attention deficit, physical and sexual child abuse grab all the headlines. But what you may not realize is that neglect can be worse. Deborah Blum writing in Mother Jones

The neglect we tolerate
today020624