A recent paper by two UConn researchers and their colleagues highlights the importance of examining factors outside the family that contribute to child neglect. This research strategy could help policymakers and social agencies design programs to reduce child maltreatment – specifically, neglect.
Neglect reports are a major concern for the child welfare system. About three quarters of all child maltreatment referrals nationwide allege neglect, and eighty percent of maltreatment-related child fatalities can be attributed to neglect. Moreover, the rate of child neglect reports has been increasing over time. Despite these facts, the cause of child neglect is not fully understood, says Kerri M. Raissian, an associate professor of public policy in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UConn and one of the four scholars who collaborated on the paper titled “Heed Neglect, Disrupt Child Maltreatment: A Call to Action for Researchers” published in the International Journal on Child Maltreatment: Research Policy and Practice.
The researchers suggest a new approach in reducing child neglect should focus on macro-level factors such as economics, labor markets, and government safety net programs because they play a key but underexplored role in family circumstances that can influence parents’ ability to consistently provide safe and sufficient environments for their children.
Feely says most child neglect seems to be the result of a gap in safe and consistent care and a lack of basic services for families.
To read more of the ScienceBlog article, please click here.
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