Tackling neglect in Barking and Dagenham

Signs of neglect in children

Whether or not the neglect of a child’s needs is intentional, it can still have a serious and lasting effect on a child’s physical, mental, and emotional development and can even be life threatening.

Neglected children may: 

  • be slow to learn to walk and talk
  • be very passive and unable to be spontaneous
  • have feeding problems and grow slowly
  • find it hard to develop close relationships
  • be over friendly with strangers
  • get on badly with other children of the same age
  • be unable to play imaginatively
  • think badly of themselves
  • be easily distracted and do badly at school

There’s often no single indicator that a child is being neglected. Professionals may notice more than one sign and concerns might become more frequent if problems are mounting up. This could indicate that a child and their family need support.

Some of the signs of different types of neglect are shown in the table below:

Physical neglect:

  • poor appearance and hygiene
  • being dirty or smelly
  • unwashed clothes
  • being hungry or not having money for food
  • stealing food from other children or asking for more snacks
  • wearing the wrong type of clothing for the weather
  • untreated and frequent nappy rashes in children
  • living in an unstable home environment

Emotional neglect:

  • becoming clingy
  • becoming aggressive
  • being withdrawn, depressed or anxious
  • changes in eating habits
  • displaying obsessive behaviour
  • finding it hard to concentrate or take part in activities
  • showing signs of self-harm
  • using drugs or alcohol
  • any behavioural changes

Educational neglect:

  • being absent from school regularly or for long periods of time
  • failing to be provided with education out of the school environment if home-schooling
  • falling behind age-related expectations

 

Medical neglect:

  • not having vaccinations
  • being regularly ill/tired
  • untreated injuries or illnesses
  • poor dental hygiene
  • failure to meet age-related expectations (possibly due to missed diagnoses such as hearing or visual impediments)

Children who have been neglected may experience the impact differently, with some being more resilient than others. Some may experience short term effects which may reduce or disappear with support and care. These can include: 

  • illness or infections
  • under/overweight
  • lack of confidence
  • lack of trust
  • bullying
  • difficulty in establishing friendships.

 Other children may experience long term effects that last throughout their life such as:

  • anxiety or low self esteem
  • depression
  • eating disorders
  • obesity 
  • learning difficulties
  • self-neglect