Shifting the Paradigm from Child Neglect to Meeting the Needs of Children: A Qualitative Exploration of Parents’ Perspectives

Substantiated reports of child neglect account for three times the combined total of physical and sexual abuse in the United States, yet there is a relative paucity of literature on child neglect differentiated from abuse. This study explores parent perspectives on the challenges of meeting the needs of children in poverty as a way of reframing our understanding of child neglect, revealing dynamics that can be lost to researchers. Analysis of six focus groups of 54 parents, living at or below the poverty level, revealed tensions between environmental challenges and parents' efforts to meet their children's needs. The authors present a model revealing the complex and dynamic interplay between families and their environment to meet children's needs, revealing pivotal intervention points. Findings suggest the need for major shifts of public health focus to prevent child neglect, including advocating for policy-level changes that affect the poorest communities, and opportunities for multiple disciplinary intervention efforts that go beyond an individual focus.