Severe neglect appears to be at least as great a threat to child health and development as physical abuse—possibly even greater. This working paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child explains why neglect is so harmful in the earliest years of life, and why effective interventions can improve long-term outcomes in learning, health, and the parenting of the next generation.
Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment in the U.S., so the implications of this research are enormous.
Learn more about “The Science of Neglect” in the full working paper, available at the link below.
Alternatively, watch a video summarizing the findings here.