What is neglect?

• A. Neglect is when a parent shouts at a child.
• B. Neglect is the negligent treatment or maltreatment indicating harm or threatened harm to the child's health or welfare.
• C. Neglect is only physical abuse.
• D. Neglect means not providing a bicycle.

Answer: (B)

Neglect means a caregiver’s failure to meet a child’s basic needs or to protect the child from harm, resulting in actual harm or a credible risk of harm to the child’s health or welfare. This includes ongoing omissions or inadequate care such as not providing adequate food, shelter, clothing, medical care, or supervision, or exposing the child to unsafe living conditions. The description that defines neglect as negligent treatment or maltreatment indicating harm or threatened harm to the child’s health or welfare aligns with how it’s understood in these policies. The other statements miss the core idea: shouting at a child can be abusive but isn’t the neglect definition by itself; neglect isn’t limited to physical abuse; and not providing a bicycle isn’t a complete or accurate description of neglect, which centers on essential care and safety.