Protecting children from neglect

Impact of child neglect

Abuse and neglect can cause a range of short- and long-term effects. The impact is unique to each child and is influenced by factors such as their age and developmental stage. 

The impact can also be affected by the type of abuse children experience. Some effects are specifically linked to child neglect.

"I’m sick of being left on my own. Mum expects me to just look after myself, but there isn’t always food I can cook. And I can’t go out to see my friends or do anything fun - but she can. I end up not leaving my room for hours. I feel so lonely."

Childline counselling session with a boy aged 14

Changes to brain development

How the brain grows and develops depends, at least in part, on how it is used.¹ If a child has little interaction with their caregiver, it can change how emotional and verbal pathways develop and impact their ability to learn.

> Sign up for our training course on understanding child brain development and the impact of trauma

Delayed development

Parents and carers need to help children to develop, including developing skills such as gross motor skills. If they are being neglected, or if parents don’t know how to stimulate their child, this process may not happen effectively and the child’s development may be delayed.²

If a child is not having their emotional, mental and developmental needs met, this can lead to problems with their social skills and language development, making it harder for them to communicate with others and form friendships.^{3, 4}

Poor health and illness

If children’s health and medical needs go unmet, it can result in discomfort, disability, serious harm or even death. This can especially impact children with chronic or serious illnesses who may experience severe harm from not being brought to appointments or not being cared for in line with prescribed treatments.⁵

> Learn more about medical neglect in our Learning from case reviews briefing on healthcare

Children who aren’t given the right, nutritious food can immediately experience hunger and discomfort and may have trouble concentrating.⁶ Longer-term malnourishment will also affect their physical health and development. If a baby is malnourished, neural cells can become weak or damaged, and this can impact brain function.

Harm following lack of supervision

If children and young people aren’t being supervised appropriately by their parents and carers, they may have accidents which can cause injury, illness, disfigurement, disability or even death. This can include eating or drinking dangerous items left lying around, such as medication or cleaning chemicals.

> Learn more about neglect and safety in our Learning from case reviews briefing on neglect

Being inappropriately unsupervised while online can also lead to children being exposed to or engaging with many types of harmful online content. 

> Find out more about how to protect children online

Recognising child neglect

Neglect can be identified as a pattern of behaviours from a child’s caregiver that show a lack of care or failure to care.¹ It can happen to any child from any background and can look different in different families. It can also look different for different children within the same family.^{2, 3}

Signs and indicators

There’s often no single indicator that a child is being neglected. You may notice more than one sign and your concerns might become more frequent if problems are mounting up. This could indicate that a child and their family need support. 

Children of all ages who are neglected may:

• live in an unsuitable home environment, for example in a house that isn’t heated throughout winter
• have a lack of, or inappropriate, stimulation, activities or toys
• not have enough sleep or a sleep routine
• be left alone for a long time
• struggle with personal hygiene and washing
• struggle with poor oral and dental health
• wear clothing that hasn’t been washed or is inadequate (for example, not having a winter coat)
• seem particularly hungry
• not be brought to medical appointments such as vaccinations or check-ups
• not be given the prescribed medication, treatment or adaptions needed for a diagnosed illness, disability or condition.

They may suffer from poor health, including:

• untreated injuries
• medical and dental issues
• repeated accidental injuries due to lack of supervision
• untreated or recurring illnesses or infections 
• long term or recurring skin sores, rashes, flea bites, scabies or ringworm
• anaemia.

Signs in babies and young children

Babies and very young children are more likely to experience severe harm from neglect due to their vulnerability and total reliance on their caregivers. 

> Find out more about neglect and babies in the Learning from case reviews briefing on infants

It can be difficult to identify neglect in very young children, which can lead to a delay in recognition and intervention.⁴

Signs^{5, 6} that babies and very young children may be experiencing neglect include:

• interacting with their caregiver in a passive, withdrawn, angry or avoidant way
• not seeking comfort from their caregivers
• becoming angry when performing problem-solving tasks
• having poor working memory abilities
• having frequent and untreated nappy rash
• failing to thrive (not reaching developmental milestones or not growing at an appropriate rate for their age).

If developmental delay is suspected, it is important to have a formal development assessment carried out by a qualified professional.

Signs in older children

Neglect sometimes isn’t identified in older children because it’s assumed by the adults around them that they can look after themselves.⁷ Neglect can have an ongoing effect on children’s development and can cause changes in behaviour. You may notice or become aware that a child:

• has poor language, communication or social skills
• withdraws suddenly or seems depressed
• appears anxious
• wants to be constantly close to their caregiver or trusted adult
• is aggressive
• displays obsessive behaviour
• shows signs of self-harm
• starts using drugs or alcohol
• is particularly tired
• has changes in eating habits
• finds it hard to concentrate or participate in activities
• seems not to have eaten breakfast or has no packed lunch or lunch money
• misses school 
• has no school essentials or support in achieving at school.⁸

Risk and vulnerability factors

Any child can suffer neglect, but research shows that some children can be more at risk of experiencing it if they: 

• have a disability
• are born prematurely or with a low birth weight
• have complex health needs
• are care experienced.⁹

> Find out more about children in care

> Find out more about safeguarding d/Deaf children and children who have disabilities

All families come under pressure from time to time. Although many parents are able to provide loving care for their children during difficult periods, increased or continued stress can affect how well a parent can look after their child.

Poverty and neglect

A family experiencing poverty doesn’t mean that the children in the family are being neglected. However, the stresses that poverty puts on a family can increase the risk of children experiencing forms of neglect, such as their basic needs not being met or going without adequate supervision.^{10, 11, 12}

Research shows that parents with a low income or who are living in more deprived neighbourhoods are likely to feel chronically stressed.¹³

Parental risk factors

Parents who are facing complex problems such as domestic abuse or substance use problems can struggle to meet their children’s needs.¹⁴  

If parents are feeling particularly isolated, this can make it harder for them to ask for help and increases the risk of child abuse or neglect.¹⁵

> Find out more about the impact of parental substance use problems

> Learn more about domestic abuse and neglect

Responding to child neglect

Reporting

If you think a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999. If you're worried about a child but they are not in immediate danger, you should share your concerns. 

• Follow your organisational child protection procedures. Organisations that work with children and families must have safeguarding policies and procedures in place.
• Contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk. Our child protection specialists will talk through your concerns with you and give you expert advice. 
• Contact your local child protection services. Their contact details can be found on the website for the local authority the child lives in. 
• Contact the police.

Services will risk assess the situation and take action to protect the child as appropriate either through statutory involvement or other support. This may include making a referral to the local authority.

> See our information about recognising and responding to abuse

If your organisation doesn't have a clear safeguarding procedure or you're concerned about how child protection issues are being handled in your own, or another, organisation, contact the Whistleblowing Advice Line to discuss your concerns.

> Find out about the Whistleblowing Advice Line on the NSPCC website

When you're not sure

The NSPCC Helpline can help when you're not sure if a situation needs a safeguarding response. Our child protection specialists are here to support you whether you're seeking advice, sharing concerns about a child, or looking for reassurance.

Whatever the need, reason or feeling, you can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk

Our trained professionals will talk through your concerns with you. Depending on what you share, our experts will talk you through which local services can help, advise you on next steps, or make referrals to children's services and the police.

> Find out more about how the NSPCC Helpline can support you

Recording concerns

Neglect is a long-term pattern of behaviour. Adults who are concerned that a child’s needs are not being met should record individual incidents to build up an overview of the child’s lived experience. These records should be shared with other agencies as appropriate and used to decide what support a child and their family need. 

Assessing neglect

Assessment tools can help practitioners get a clear picture of how well parents are able to look after their children. This helps professionals make timely evidence-based decisions to improve the child’s quality of life.

Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2) helps professionals measure the quality of care a child is receiving. We’ve evaluated GCP2 and found that it’s successful in helping to identify neglect. We’re now supporting other organisations to deliver GCP2 in local areas. 

> Find out more about how to deliver Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2)

Preventing child neglect

One way that professionals can prevent possible child neglect is by identifying circumstances that put parents and carers under stress and getting them the right help at the right time. 

Protective factors that can reduce the risks to children’s wellbeing include:

• a strong social support network for the family
• income support, benefits and advice
• good community services and facilities.¹

Early preventative support

Practitioners have a key role to play in providing early support, before a problem escalates, and empowering parents and carers to look after their families. This includes:

• developing long-term positive relationships with parents and carers
• encouraging parents and carers to seek help when problems first emerge
• talking to a child and their parents or carers to understand what support they need
• sharing information about a child and their family with relevant agencies
• identifying which services are best placed to help a family
• monitoring a child’s situation
• providing direct practical and emotional support to a child and their parents or carers
• signposting families to other specialist services where necessary. Successful early intervention can improve the attachment bond a child has with their caregivers, reduce harm and help children form positive relationships in adulthood.²

> Find out more about the importance of early help and early intervention

NSPCC Services

NSPCC services that support parents to provide safe and loving care for their families include:

• Domestic Abuse, Recovering Together (DART) – helps children and their mothers talk to each other about domestic abuse, learn to communicate and rebuild their relationship. We're also supporting other organisations to deliver DART in local areas.
• Pregnancy in Mind – designed to support parents who are at risk of, or are experiencing, mild to moderate anxiety and depression during their pregnancy
• Baby Steps – a holistic perinatal education programme designed to help prepare people for becoming parents.

> Find out more about our services for children and families

Giving children a voice

It’s vital to build safe and trusting relationships with children so they can communicate about any problems they are experiencing. This involves teaching children what neglect is and how they can get help.

> Learn more about how professionals can hear and facilitate the voice of the child

Our Speak out Stay safe service for schools teaches children how to recognise abuse and neglect in all its forms and empowers them to speak out if they are worried about anything.

> Find out more about Speak out Stay safe

Legislation and guidance

Statutory guidance across the UK highlights the responsibility of those in the education, community and care sectors to safeguard children from all forms of abuse and neglect. 

• Child protection in England
• Child protection in Northern Ireland
• Child protection in Scotland
• Child protection in Wales

See also Key guidance for schools in the UK

Cruelty and neglect

Legislation across the UK makes it an offence to neglect children under the age of 16.

In England and Wales the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 specifies when someone can be prosecuted for child cruelty or neglect.

In Northern Ireland this is covered by the Children and Young Persons Act (Northern Ireland) 1968.

In Scotland it is Part II of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937.

In all parts of the UK, a person over 16 could be prosecuted for child cruelty if they:

• ill-treat a child
• neglect a child
• abandon a child
• expose or cause a child to be ill-treated, neglected or abandoned
• expose a child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to physical or mental health.

Guidance for medical professionals

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has published guidance on the delivery of child protection medical assessments. The guidance for all UK nations sets out 13 standards to promote equitable, high-standard medical assessments where there are concerns about physical abuse and neglect.¹ 

Further information and learning

Support for children and young people

If a child or young person needs confidential help and advice direct them to Childline. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and children can also contact Childline online or read about neglect on the Childline website. You can also download Childline posters to share digitally or print and pin up around your building.

NSPCC Library catalogue

For further reading about neglect, search the NSPCC Library catalogue using the keywords "child neglect", "emotional neglect" and "neglected children".

> Find out more about the Library and Information Service

Podcasts

You can listen to discussions around neglect on NSPCC Learning's podcast.

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