Child neglect can be just as bad as child abuse under certain conditions and have effects that are just as bad. Neglect should be as known as abuse is since it also can affect a child and is a common problem with careless parents. Although child neglect can mold a child to mature faster, it has a bigger negative impact that affects their behavior towards others, their future when they grow up and shows who raised them in such a bad fashion that they couldn't get the needs that they were supposed to have as a kid.
When neglected, any person can undergo a plethora of problems, mostly pertaining to their own physical and mental health and/or behavioral problems. According to Deanna Pledge "Consequences of neglect are generally cumulative, and often negatively affect the child's development. For example, poor nutrition has negative consequences on the child's physical and psychological development." This means that a child in an early state is also in an unstable state. The child doesn't know better and needs to be corrected when doing wrong to ensure no bad habits are developed; Bad habits that are made at an early age are hard to break after a certain period of time has passed. She also wrote that "If proper nutrients are not available at critical growth periods, the child's development will not follow the normal and usual pattern. Common physical and psychological reactions to neglect include stunted growth, chronic medical problems, inadequate bone and muscle growth, and lack of neurological development that negatively affects normal brain functioning and information processing." Not only will the child have a hard time in with normal everyday tasks, but he/she may develop unhealthily, placing them in difficult situations, especially when interacting in distressing situations. Being a child is one of the earliest stages of life and that means that their brains are still in the process of developing and gaining knowledge.
Children that are neglected tend to not know about the trials that most kids go through as they age, mostly due to the fact that they aren't receiving attention and aren't being taught about their paths to college, their jobs, etc. "All types of child abuse and neglect leave lasting scars. Some of these scars might be physical, but emotional scarring has long lasting effects throughout life, damaging a child’s sense of self, ability to have healthy relationships, and ability to function at home, at work and at school." (Melinda Smith, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. [Child Abuse and Neglect]) In this article, these two women write about how child neglect doesn't only affect the past, but the present and also possibly the future. Children that are neglected don't always show it, but they do hurt and they do deteriorate from all of the stress and pressure put on them at such a young age, affecting who they become in the later years. "Older children might not show outward signs of neglect, becoming used to presenting a competent face to the outside world, and even taking on the role of the parent. But at the end of the day, neglected children are not getting their physical and emotional needs met." People become used to things that happen to them, especially if it happens everyday. Once a person grows up, they become accustomed to reoccurring cycle and that's where they continue what they've learned from their neglect, either acting on their own or repeating that same cycle towards other people or even their own kids. As these neglected kids grow up, they won't get the things they need like an education or even a job, and even if they did want it, they wouldn't be able to from their scarring pasts.
There's a heated debate that if a child has been neglected by a parent or caretaker, that the child would be able to learn from their mistakes and benefit from it later on. "Neglected children also may be at risk for repeating the neglectful behavior with their own children. Research also shows that neglected children do not necessarily perceive their upbringing to be abnormal or dysfunctional and may model their own parenting behavior on the behavior of their parents." (https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/neglect/chapterthree.cfm) If a child neglect went about on a daily basis, most neglected kids will think it will be okay to give minimal attention towards their own kids, mimicking what their parents did and having the whole process repeat again.They would think it would be okay since they grew up around it and saw and/or experienced it daily. "In order for babies to learn language, they need to hear numerous repetitions of sounds before they can begin making sounds and eventually saying words and sentences. Language development may be delayed if the parent or other caregiver does not provide the necessary verbal interaction with the child." Not only will the child be at a disadvantage compared to most kids their age, but the problem still originates from the same source, the parents. People don't get things always on the first try; Many have to fall down before standing back up and finding the right answer. In a child case, if they were to fall, nobody would be there for an encouraging word or to show them the right way and that is the downfall.
Although, yes, some kids may be smart enough to catch problems at an early age and push themselves to success later on in life, the majority won't due to child neglect. Child neglect may have some positive aspects, but the cons outweigh the pros. Child neglect is a bigger impact that affects their behavior towards others, their future when they grow up and shows who raised them in such a bad fashion that they couldn't get the needs that they were supposed to have as a kid.
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