In the US, child abuse has been recorded to affect more than six million children every year. 78 % of these cases are associated with child neglect. Nonetheless, many people are not aware what child neglect means and moreover it does not have a universal accepted definition. Some researchers maintain that child abuse and child neglect are the same whereas others view them as two different concepts. In a study conducted by Putman-Hornstein, Cleves, Licht, and Needell (2013), they defined neglect as acts performed by the parents that endanger the lives of the children. Unintentional neglect is described as an instance when caregivers or parents opt to take priorities that are of lower value compared to the wellbeing of a child. Cultural differences and intentions are some of the key factors that are taken into consideration while analyzing whether actions are neglectful or not.
Based on the reports by the National Child Abuse Statistics, over three million incidents of child abuse are reported concerning approximately six million children. In 2012, nearly 78.3% of these cases were for child neglect. Multiple studies have established various factors that amplify the risks of child neglect as well as maltreatment. These factors include socioeconomic status, the level of education, and presence of dysfunctional characteristics in the family and the composition of the family. A study conducted by Mooney (2010) indicated that the socioeconomic status had a positive correlation with child maltreatment ( Friedman & Billick, 2015) .
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The study found out that children aged one who hails from poor families are 17 times more prone to die due to unintentional injuries compared to those who are born to parents who hold professional careers. Moreover, poor and jobless parents are 12 times more inclined to have a child who will die before reaching the age of 15 due to assaults. These discrepancies of classes are linked to the death resulting from fire, pedestrian accidents and unintentional drowning and suffocation ( Friedman & Billick, 2015) . Additionally, a study conducted on parental education level in association to neglect rates found out that there was a causal link.
The study was conducted by researchers Beiki, Karimi, and Mohammadi in 2014 indicated that the risks of hospitalization and death was much higher among the children who had low parental education level contrasting with those that had high levels of parental education ( Friedman & Billick, 2015) . A study was conducted to prove the hypothesis of the study whereby 170 caregivers were selected and observed. The participants comprised of one caregiver who had one child, more than one caregiver with several children, one caregiver with several children and finally several caregivers with one child. The participants selected lived in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and the observation process was conducted on the corner of 5th Avenue and East 72nd Street. The observations were made at various days and times of the week.
The results indicate that there were different cases where the caregivers unintentionally neglected the children. A wide range of acts was observed such as unintentionally placing a child in danger and not comprehending the needs of the children. For instance, the caregivers unintentionally put the child at risk by crossing the street at the end of the walk signal or before the signal had changed to give way for crossing. The caregivers did not understand the needs of the children by walking too fast despite the child having smaller gait ( Friedman & Billick, 2015) . Furthermore, the caregivers did not give adequate supervision to the children or observing safety precautions because they were busy with their cell phones. They further allowed the children to walk behind them and hence they did not have a clear view of the children. Most importantly they allowed children to ride a bike or scooter without putting on a helmet and they did not hold the hands of the small children when crossing the street.
There is adequate evidence that postulates that parenting classes could be effective mechanisms for preventing and reducing cases of intentional neglect. A study was conducted on homeless parents whereby they were invited to take part in a parenting education course for three weeks. The researchers measured the likelihood of abuse through the utilization of the Adults Adolescent Parenting Inventory ( Friedman & Billick, 2015) . Using the Parenting Stress Index, the researcher evaluated the parental stress. The posttests scores indicated a positive decrease in the likelihood of abuse. Parenting courses are effective strategies for dealing with unintentional child neglect. Having a universal definition of child neglect will further aid in reducing the cases of neglect. Lastly, identifying the risks factors that are involved in neglect can also aid in the development of a practical and effective intervention strategy.
In conclusion, child neglect may lead to detrimental health problems such as depression, behavior and mental challenges, physical injuries, fractures, severe burns, disabilities, disfigurement, death and many other repercussions. Hence child neglects is a severe public, social and education problem that do not only affect the children but also the country. Consequently, there is the need to create strategies and mechanisms for managing child neglect. Creating Awareness is vital to sensitize the issue of child neglect to all caregivers. Understanding the risks factors in child neglect will be beneficial to the parents (caregivers). Moreover identifying what is meant by unintentional neglect could aid in reducing its prevalence in the society. Parenting courses should be made readily accessible to caregivers to educate them on the consequences of unintentional child neglect and ways of preventing them. Ultimately, the cases of child neglect will decrease when the issue is taken with the seriousness it deserves.
Reference
Friedman, E., & Billick, S. B. (2015). Unintentional child neglect: literature review and observational study. Psychiatric Quarterly , 86 (2), 253-259.
