Protect Children from Chronic Neglect

When we address child abuse, we often leave out the fact that more than half of all child victims in the U.S. suffer neglect. In 2005, more than 550,000 children suffered from chronic neglect. The omission of a child's basic needs could severely impact his/her development and ability to become a healthy teen and adult.

The term "chronic neglect" refers to a serious pattern of a lack of supervision, food, clothing, education and medical care by a parent or caregiver. This is an urgent issue that must be addressed quickly and comprehensively. But full understanding of the child's experience cannot always be identified using traditional child welfare approaches. For example, children who experience neglect are 46 percent more likely to experience recurrence than children who are physically abused. This requires an entirely different strategy.

In 2007, the American Humane Association launched its National Initiative on Chronic Neglect. Through various projects, they bring together practitioners, policymakers, researchers and other invested individuals to address the causes of and solutions to chronic neglect.
Sign this pledge to support efforts like American Humane's National Initiative to create a national agenda for chronic neglect research and action plans.