CITATION: Gaudin Jr., J. M. (1993). Child neglect: A guide for intervention (HHS-105-89-1730). U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families. Washington, DC: Westover Consultants.
· Manual discusses the complexity in defining neglect. However, it offers definitions of the array of different types of neglect
ü Physical neglect includes refusal of health care, delay in health care, abandonment, expulsion, etc…
ü Inadequate supervision
ü Emotional neglect includes inadequate nurturance / affection, chronic / extreme abuse of domestic violence, permitted drug / alcohol abuse, etc….
ü Educational neglect includes permitted chronic truancy, failure to enroll, and inattention to special education need
ü Withholding of medically indicated treatment from newborn infants
ü Prenatal exposure to drugs
ü Failure to thrive/ malnutrition
ü Chronic vs. “new” neglect – chronically neglecting families tend to have more and older children, to be poorer, have more problems, and less parenting knowledge
· Discusses the causes of neglect
ü Parents’ developmental history and personality factors including
- Depression
- Poor social skills
- Substance abuse
ü Characteristics of children and family system factors
- Child characteristics
- Family composition
- Family size
- Family interaction patterns
- Contextual sources of stress and support
- Informal support systems
- Stress
· Discusses consequences of neglect (short and long term) for the various age groups
· Discusses assessment of neglect
ü Indicators
ü Problems identified by parents
ü Causes / Barriers to provision of adequate care
- Individual personality factors
- Family system factors
- Environmental / community factors
- Cultural factors
ü Structured assessment measures
· Discusses Intervention
ü Gives general guidelines
ü Multiservice interventions
ü Family-focused interventions
ü Family preservation services
ü Group approaches
ü Treatment of neglected children
ü Legal intervention
· Discusses prevention
ü Primary prevention
ü Secondary prevention
ü Tertiary prevention
· Social policy implication
***Electronic version is available and will be included in the final product as it is in the public domain