When we think of abuse, physical violence always comes to mind, but there are much more subtle ways of exercising it, sometimes even unconsciously.
This is the case of parental neglect Let’s discover what this concept consists of and what variants can be observed.
What is parental neglect
Parental or child neglect is a form of mistreatment by parents (or guardians) towards children due to a lack of care in their basic needs, or poor management of them. To be considered as such, it must occur continuously over time. That is, we could not speak of parental neglect when an isolated episode occurs, unless it is of considerable severity.
Our society has made a lot of progress in eradicating violence in the education of children, but there is still much to do regarding parental neglect, which would represent one of the biggest problems of lack of protection for children, and there is a great lack of knowledge. of the extent that its consequences may have.
Children are absolutely dependent on their caregivers and they have a series of needs at various levels, both physiological, psychological and social, and they must be covered in an appropriate way, always corresponding to each stage of development, ensuring that the minor develops normally and without any type of deficiency.
A negligent father or mother would be characterized by one or more of these behaviors:
Of course, parental neglect can lead to a series of consequences that can even extend to their adult life, so it is not a minor problem, but rather an issue that must be addressed to avoid any repercussions that affect this person in the medium or long term and that require, for example, deep psychological therapy to resolve. Later we will delve into some of the possible consequences that can be experienced.
Causes of parental neglect
Parental neglect can occur due to a series of very different factors, related to the parents or guardians of the minors. Let’s see a classification of them.
1. Addictions
In cases in which the father, mother or both maintain continued consumption of toxic substances, whether alcohol or drugs, it is a high indicator of a potential case of parental neglect.
This occurs even before the child is born, during pregnancy since the harmful substances that the mother may consume would pass into the bloodstream and from there to the fetus, potentially causing irreversible consequences.
Once born, the lack of care would continue, as his parents would be incapacitated much of the time due to their state of intoxication, which would make it impossible to adequately cover the child’s needs.
2. Mental disorders
On other occasions It may be the case that one of the parents suffers from a psychological pathology that affects their perception of reality for example through psychotic breaks, or that their cognitive and emotional capacity is diminished in some way.
It would be another cause that would be directly affecting adults in their abilities to care for their children properly.
3. Lack of parenting skills
Sometimes there is no direct condition, but due to various circumstances, including having themselves been victims of child neglect as children, certain parents do not have the necessary skills to act as parents correctly, ignoring even the most basic tasks. basic.
In these cases, Children would be provided with only care intended for mere survival, without covering any additional needs which are also essential for complete development.
4. Very large families
In families at risk of exclusion that also have a large number of children, cases of parental neglect may occur, since Sometimes older children are required to perform adult tasks in relation to caring for their younger siblings which should obviously be the responsibility of an adult.
In this way, older children suffer parental neglect by not being treated as children but as adults, and younger children would suffer from it when their needs are only partially met, since logically the care provided by siblings is not the same. that parents should provide.
5. Lack of resources
In line with the previous point, There are family units where economic resources are very limited and sometimes the social protection offered by the State is not enough to cover their needs, so that adults do not have the capacity to meet the obligations they have towards their children.
Types of parental neglect
The problem of parental neglect is varied, and we can classify it according to the dimension in which the lack of coverage of needs is framed. This would be a classification proposal.
1. Physical negligence
This category would include all behaviors that in some way are preventing or harming the correct physical development of the child and the range of options is very wide, starting with the child’s diet, which must be sufficient and appropriate for their age and specific needs.
It would also be not to provide the child with appropriate clothing for each season, so that he is protected from heat and cold or inclement weather. Likewise, not protecting him from the sun in summer with elements that cover his head from the sun, sunscreen, etc.
Likewise, everything related to hygiene and correct health control, worrying about healing their scratches and wounds, and punctually attending the corresponding pediatric appointments for vaccinations, check-ups or any medical incident that needs to be resolved. In fact, it is in the medical context, in addition to the school context, where the majority of cases of parental neglect are detected, when doctors find clear indicators that the child is not being well cared for and bring it to the attention of the authorities. competent, as is their duty.
Of course, any other lack of protective measures in each corresponding context, for example the lack of a special seat and/or seat belt when traveling in the car, would constitute a clear cause of physical parental neglect.
2. Psychological negligence
The psychological needs of the child must be properly attended to. A form of negligence in this sense would be not adequately stimulating their cognitive abilities through games and activities indicated for their evolutionary stage, or even ignore them.
Likewise, depriving him of correct socialization with his peers (playing with other children) would also be preventing the optimal development of his identity and his psychological functions.
3. Educational negligence
Obviously also It would be clear negligence not to provide the minor with a formal education, even though it is mandatory by law and also free so it would also be a crime.
Education is one of the primary rights of the child, and its benefits are of incalculable value: the acquisition of skills and knowledge, psychological development, learning interpersonal skills, etc. If we deprive the child of all this, we will greatly hinder his development and subsequent transition to adult life.
Consequences
We already know the different causes and possible types of parental neglect that we can encounter, but Equally important are the consequences that this phenomenon can trigger in the child as we anticipated at the beginning.
The consequences can range from physical problems, whether due to poor nutrition, untreated ailments… to a lack of development due to a lack of stimuli and education appropriate for their age. But let’s delve into the psychological consequences that continued parental neglect can trigger.
Attachment
Attachment is the emotional bond that is established between the child and the adult during upbringing. It can be of the following types:
Logically, secure attachment is optimal and to which all parenting patterns should be directed, but in situations of parental neglect it is likely that other types will develop, especially the avoidant and disorganized.
The possible consequences that an insecure attachment can have on a child when he or she becomes an adult are many and varied. You may have problems regulating your emotions, experience difficulties carrying out social activities, become emotionally dependent on someone in an unhealthy way, have a negative view of yourself (low self-esteem and self-concept), suffer from behavioral problems, and more.
This does not mean that children of parents who exercise parental neglect are condemned to a life marked by these events and to suffer psychological disorders since not everyone develops them and if they do, they can always perform attachment repair therapies, which work very satisfactorily, but obviously it is preferable to eliminate the problem before it is generated, since we have already seen the scope of the consequences and their maintenance over time.