Physical Neglect

Not providing someone that is in your care with the appropriate clothing, food and shelter is considered physical neglect. Children, elderly people and pets are often physically neglected by those who are responsible for their care.

Emotional Neglect

Verbal abuse, ignoring, corrupting, terrorizing and isolating are considered emotional neglect. Not allowing someone to get the psychological help they need is also emotional neglect.

Educational Neglect

Parents who do not enroll their school-age children in an appropriate school or home school are educationally neglecting their children. Educational neglect also includes not providing a special-needs child with the appropriate training.

Medical Neglect

Medical neglect is when you don't make sure that a child, elderly person or pet get the medical care that they need. According to the Administration for Children and Families in their 2007 Child Maltreatment Publication, 20.4 percent of the children who were medically neglected were under the age of 1.

Prevention/Solution

If you have witnessed the neglect of a child, elderly person or an animal, report it immediately. Reporting it will allow the neglect to be investigated, and the proper steps can be taken to stop the neglect.

Source:

Administration for Children and Families, "Child Maltreatment 2007"

American Humane Association, Fact Sheet

Child Welfare Gateway, "What is Child Abuse and Neglect?"