The problem in focus in this Term Paper is child neglect, which is a problem that is as crucial as it is complicated. Child neglect is the most common form of child abuse in the USA accounting for up to 75% of all child abuse cases. The complication within the subject lies in the fact that the two terms, child, and neglect are extremely variable. Child neglect will thus have different meanings when looked at from different perspectives. Further, as most social issues are, child neglect will also vary based on cultural and background issues (Stoltenborgh et al., 2015). An occurrence that may be considered as child neglect today, may not have been considered as such a decade ago, just as what was considered child neglect a few decades ago may be considered as normal today. Similarly, an occurrence that may be considered as child neglect in a Hispanic community may not be considered as child neglect in an African American community. The issue of age of the parent, age of the child, economic consideration and commonality of the event are also important bearing factors in the subject of child neglect which exacerbates the complications behind the problem.
Definitions of the Problem
Child neglect can be defined from a legal, cultural, and community perspective. From a philosophical perspective, a consequentialist approach can also be taken to define child neglect, based on what happens to the child as opposed to what the parent has or has failed to do. According to Psychology Today (2018), among the key characteristics of a neglected child is one who is “ malnourished, always sick, or never at school ”. Based on this definition, child neglect may take one or more perspectives based on a consequentialist approach. First, this definition involves the subject of nutrition and considers the failure to feed a child properly as part of child neglect. Frequent or constant sickness is also included in the definition meaning that acts and omissions that may cause a child to be constantly sick should also be considered as child neglect. Finally, the issue of education and constant absenteeism is also included, meaning that acts and omissions that prevent a child from going to school also amount to child neglect. It is almost impossible for the child services department to be able to monitor children from home due inter alia to privacy issues (National Research Council, 2014). This department thus depends on reports made to it by stakeholders such as neighbors, healthcare officials or teachers. The consequentialist approach indicated above is thus the most commonly used definition of child neglect.
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Another approach to the definition of child neglect is to look at it based on what a child needs from a parent. There is no manual to parenthood or a blueprint to the parent-child relationship, hence what a child needs from a parent can only be defined on parameters of reasonableness (Widom, Czaja & DuMont, 2015). A child needs love and attention from a parent which can only be defined by the quality time the child spends with the parent. The failure to provide love and attention or an alternative, such as a worker or relative to give that kind of attention that a child gets from a parent can be considered as child neglect. A child needs sufficient food in both quality and quantity and the failure to provide the same can be considered as negligence. Food is a controversial subject from the perspective of child neglect for a variety of reasons. For a start, there is a debate in whether the failure to feed a child since there is no food amounts to neglect. Similarly, poor feeding because the child refuses to eat or is very selective about what to eat adds to this controversy. Finally, obesity among very little children is mainly based on poor nutrition and some commentators argue that failure to control what a child eats also amounts to child neglect (Jones et al, 2014). Food and shelter are also a basic needs for any child and the failure to provide proper shelter can be considered as child neglect. The parent of a child who becomes a vagabond can be considered to have neglected the child, though the age of the child and circumstances of the parent will also be a key determinant. After attention and basic needs, a child also has secondary needs such as education and healthcare and the failure by a parent to provide the same may also be considered as child neglect. Similarly, the issue of affordability creates a controversy in the education and healthcare part of the definition. From a cultural perspective, there is also debate whether parents who deny their children education and healthcare based on their belief are guilty of child neglect (Stoltenborgh et al., 2015).
Underlying Causes and Factors
Among the primary causes of child neglect in the USA today is young parentage (Swift, 2017) . Most, but not all, of the cases of child neglect handled by the department of child services involves parents who are below the age of 20 years. It can be said that children having children is a key bearing factor of modern child neglect. Substance abuse is also a major cause of child neglect with parents who abuse alcohol or drugs having a high likelihood of neglecting their children (Widom, Czaja & DuMont, 2015) . Unfortunately, a high number of teenagers in the USA are still having children in spite of advancements in reproductive health. The second most common cause and bearing factor to the problem of child neglect is poverty. Many of the requirements for a child as indicated in the literature review above require money. Lack of money is a key reason why parents fail to provide for the needs of their children, leading to child neglect. Another key cause of child neglect is a failure by parents to understand the needs of a child, either due to ignorance or cultural affiliations (Stoltenborgh et al, 2015) . Some parents have a minimalist approach to the needs of a child thus, what they consider to be a well-catered for child is in the real sense a neglected child. Limitations by the department of children services to monitor and superintend over child rearing is also another factor. In most cases, the said department only acts when a complaint has been registered, and unreported cases of child neglect continue unabated thus exacerbating the problem.
The extent of the Problem
The problem of child neglect affects children between the ages of 0 to 18 years across America. Available statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the year 2015 show that there are 683,000 confirmed cases of child neglect (CDC, 2017) . The cases of child neglect are siphoned from over three million cases that combine both child neglect and other forms of child abuse. Out of these cases, there were 1670 fatalities. Further research shows that 25% of all American children undergo some form of neglect in their lifetimes. The neglect suffered will then lead to other forms of abuse such as physical and sexual abuse. The physical and psychological impact of child neglect costs the US economy approximately US$ 124 billion annually. Neglect is also a leading cause of child suicide in America (CDC, 2017) .
Those who Define Child Neglect as a Problem
Allegations of child neglect begin when a complaint is made to the department of children’s services but child neglect is not fully defined unless the department concludes that indeed neglect has taken place. Child neglect is a crime in all states in America, a fact that exponentially complicates who defines child neglect. Further, when child neglect is said to have happened, it is common for a child to be taken away from the parent, a procedure that also complicates the definition of child neglect (National Research Council, 2014) . Definition of child neglect is, therefore, a combination of a legal and administrative process that involves a whistleblower, the children’s department and a court of law in that order.
Those Who Disagree that Child Neglect is a Problem
As reflected in the literature review above, there are many arguments about the definition of child neglect but there is no credible argument that child neglect does not happen. Parents who are accused of child neglect may dispute the existence of the problem on a case by case basis (National Research Council, 2014) . However, there is no blanket denial of the existence of child neglect as a problem. The absence of credible denial for the existence of the problem can be considered as evidence of its high prevalence in the modern USA.
Conflicting Social Values and Beliefs
There is an acute cultural, social values, and belief altercation when it comes to the subject of child neglect and the definition thereof. On one side of the argument is the belief that neglect is a major cause of stress, depression, and even suicide among children. On the opposite end of the divide is the argument that there are overprotection and over-parenting for modern children, thus making them too soft and vulnerable. When such children are exposed to the vagaries of real life in the absence of parental protection, they get stressed, depressed and even commit suicide. Based on this debate, some commentators are pushing for a closer parenting that involves a very conservative definition of child neglect. Other commentators are arguing for a more liberal definition of child neglect that allows parents to developed more hardened children. Culture is also a major cause of differences when it comes to the problem of child neglect with different cultures having specialized definitions of good parenting (Stoltenborgh et al., 2015) . A formal definition of parental obligations and more study into the subject is necessary to enable a united approach to the problem.
References
CDC. (2017, April 17). Violence Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childmaltreatment/index.html
Jones, D. J., Gonzalez, M., Ward, D. S., Vaughn, A., Emunah, J., Miller, L., & Anton, M. (2014). Should child obesity be an issue for child protective services? A call for more research on this critical public health issue. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse , 15 (2), 113-125
National Research Council. (2014). New directions in child abuse and neglect research . Washington, DC: National Academies Press
Psychology Today. (2018). Child Neglect. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/child-neglect .
Stoltenborgh, M., Bakermans‐Kranenburg, M. J., Alink, L. R., & IJzendoorn, M. H. (2015). The prevalence of child maltreatment across the globe: Review of a series of meta‐analyses. Child Abuse Review , 24 (1), 37-50
Swift, K. J. (2017). An outrage to common decency: Historical perspectives on child neglect. In A History of Child Welfare (pp. 61-81). Abingdon: Routledge publishers
Widom, C. S., Czaja, S. J., & DuMont, K. A. (2015). Intergenerational transmission of child abuse and neglect: Real or detection bias?. Science , 347 (6229), 1480-1485
