ABSTRACT
Child neglect is an act of omission. Parents or caregivers are not doing some-thing that they should be doing for their children. Neglect can be thought of as the failure to meet the minimum requirements for care; it is not the failure to provide ideal care. Although we focused on physical abuse in the previous chapter and devote this chapter to neglect, the federal government identifi es abuse and neglect together as follows:
Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious injury or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.
