Nydia Y. Monagas, Psy.D.

In 2011, an estimate of 3.4 million child abuse referrals made involving over 6 million children

681,000 children found to be maltreated 78.5% neglect

17.6% physical abuse

9.1% sexual abuse

10.3% “other,” including psychological maltreatment,abandonment and congenital drug addiction

Estimated that less than one-third of cases reported

In 2011, it was reported that 1,545 children died from abuse/neglect

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/cm11.pdf

“Neglect is the failure, whether intentional or not, of the person responsible for the child's care to provide and maintain adequate food, clothing, medical care, supervision, and/or education.

A child may be found neglected who:

1. has been abandoned

2. is being denied proper care and attention physically educationally, emotionally, or morally

3. is being permitted to live under conditions, circumstances or associations injurious to his well- being

4. is being abused.”

(Retrieved from http://www.ct.gov/dcf/cwp/view.asp?Q=316956&a=2556)

Food, nutrition

Clothing

Shelter

Inadequate hygiene

Abandonment Not picked up within two days

Kicking child out of the home; leaving child with various caregivers due to disinterest in caring for child

Is it neglect if parents cannot provide for their child’s basic needs? If neglect is not intentional?

Physical Neglect

Medical Neglect

Educational Neglect

Emotional Neglect

Supervisory

Environmental

Emotional

Often occur together, and with other types of abuse

Immunizations and preventive care (e.g., dental)

Failure to seek timely medical/mental health care

Failure to comply with medical/mental health care

Is it neglect if recommended treatment is refused because of religious beliefs?

Truancy

Failure to enroll a child in school

Refusing or not seeking needed special education services

Is homeschooling a form of neglect?

Lack of supervision

Inappropriate caregivers

Exposure to hazards

Guns, poisons, drug paraphernalia, second-hand smoke, unsanitary household conditions, car seats

Is it neglect if cultural values support early responsibilities for children (e.g., leaving a toddler in the care of a 10-year-old

Neighborhood factors

Do you consider this neglect? Who is responsible?

Lack of safety

Part of psychological maltreatment

Inadequate nurturing or affection

Psychological unavailability can lead to deficits in multiple areas (e.g., attachment, language and cognitive development, motor skills)

Exposure to extreme/chronic domestic violence

Permitted drug or alcohol use

How bad does this have to be to be considered neglectful?

<5% in weight and height

Baby was once of normal weight and height

Delay in psychomotor development

Flat affect; passivity

Poor ability to suck

Lack of interest in food; vomiting

Unwilling to be held

Lack of eye contact

Delay in language

Affects children 18 months to 16 years of age Often associated with emotional deprivation <5%ile in weight and height Retarded skeletal maturation Bizarre eating patterns (e.g., overeating, stealing,

hoarding) Sleep problems and night wanderings Hyperactivity Extreme fatigue Enuresis and encopresis Delayed development (e.g., speech, social skills)

Self-stimulating and self-calming (e.g., rocking, thumb sucking)

Delays in motor skills

Delayed cognitive development, including expressive and receptive language

Delayed social skills

Lack of prosocial behavior

Lack of delayed gratification due to unpredictability

Others?

Wears dirty or inappropriate clothing

Shows poor hygiene; dirty or decaying teeth

Always seems hungry; hoards, steals or begs for food; comes to school with little food

Often appears listless and tired

Frequently reports caring for younger siblings

Unaddressed medical or dental problems

Homeless families are approximately 1/3rd of homeless population

More than one million children are homeless

On any given day, an estimated 200,000 children have no place to live

Among all homeless women, 60% have children, but only 65% live with at least one of their children

Should parents be charged with neglect if their children are homeless?

http://www.familyhomelessness.org/media/306.pdf

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/rock-center/50020452#50020452

What are some of the causes of family homelessness?

What is the impact on children?

What can we do?

http://www.familyhomelessness.org/media/306.pdf

Critical to psychological and interpersonal health

Characteristics of securely attached children: Explore freely while primary attachment figure is

present

Respond differently to strangers (may exhibit fear of strangers

Upset at departure of attachment figure

Comforted by reappearance of attachment figure

www.youtube.com/watch?v=36GI_1PBQpM&NR=1

Ensures survival of the individual and humans

Infant is biologically programmed to seek proximity to a caregiver

Critical period: developmental phase during which there is a heightened sensitivity for a stimulus to occur

Critical period: 6 months – 3 years

Behaviors subside, but reappear in crisis situations throughout life

Styles are developed in first few years of life

Parent engaged, but in response to own needs

Child is anxious about exploring, even when mother is present

Child is highly distressed when mom leaves

Child is ambivalent upon mom’s return (stays close , but is resentful and resistant to being reengaged)

Mom is more engaged

Child avoids or ignores mom

Child does not explore much

Child does not respond differently to strangers

Child shows little emotional response when parent departs or returns

Caregivers are either frightened or frightening

Caregiver is source of alarm to child, but also source of safe haven

Creates an approach-avoidance conflict for the child: child freezes

No coherent pattern for coping

Often associated with abuse

Changes in brain structures are due to experience

In critical period, energy is high in infant and parent for receptivity to each other’s cues

Secure and insecure attachment patterns result in differences in brain development