ABSTRACT
There is a lack of agreement among experts in the field of child maltreatment regarding the definition of child neglect. This lack has resulted in the failure to develop a reliable, useful definition of the problem; which has limited research efforts and the accumulation of knowledge regarding families who neglect their children (Dubowitz, Black, Starr, & Zuravin, 1993; Dubowitz, Klockner, Starr, & Black, 1998; Hutchison, 1990; Leiter, Myers, & Zingraff, 1994; Paget et al., 1993; Rose & Meezan, 1993; Socolar, Runyan, & Amaya-Jackson, 1995; Wolock & Horowitz, 1984). This lack of knowledge has, in turn, been a barrier to social service agencies in developing an effective response to the problem (Nelson et al., 1990). The absence of a clear definition provides inadequate direction for family courts in deciding cases of neglect, insufficient guidance for social workers in providing effective interventions, and lack of consistency in empirical studies regarding this issue (Alter, 1985).
