Child abuse is any act that endangers a child’s physical or emotional health and development. Child abuse and neglect can take place anywhere. The child often knows the abuser well a parent, relative, babysitter, or friend of the family. Child abuse and neglect crosses all ethnic, racial, social, and economic lines This book talks and expresses the examinations of child neglect in families and its relevance to research, policy and practice in the field of services to children and their families. The authors chose to explore this subject because child neglect is an over looked area of child welfare practice. Families neglect their children almost twice as frequently as they abuse their children. The four major types of maltreatment are physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and emotional abuse. Some states also specify substance abuse or abandonment by the caretaker as an element of abuse or neglect. Although any of the forms of child maltreatment may be found separately, they often occur in combination.
The most recent statements and research indicate that 860,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in the year 2006. The consequences of neglect to children are at least as serious as the consequences of abuse. Referring back to the article statement “In 2003 1,200 children died of abuse and neglect”. These fatalities were most often the result of neglect only. According to the article 685 of child fatalities due to maltreatment involved child neglect, as compared to 50% that involved. The focus of those working in the field like Child Protective Services, affiliated agencies that can take full custody and etc. In addition because of lack of information and investigations children are maltreatment have been on abuse, due to neglected children and their families and even fatal. It is the intention of the authors to present a comprehensive view of the current state regarding child neglect issues and to offer a rationale for directing