Facts

• It is difficult to know how many children are affected by neglect in Canada for many reasons. For one, often those who are neglected do not have the tools or the knowledge to ask for help. This leads to the neglect remaining hidden.
• Abusers will often manipulate the victim to keep the abuse a secret.
• In many instances, the victim is dependant (financially and emotionally) on the abuser. This leads to increasing the victim’s helplessness and confusion on what is happening. It also makes it more difficult to reveal the abuse to others (Department of Justice – Child Abuse Factsheet).
• Neglect and other forms of abuse are power imbalances, where one person is exerting their power over another to belittle them.
• Neglect was the primary reason for investigation in 40% of all child abuse cases in 1998. It was confirmed at a rate of 3.66 cases out of every 1,000 (Department of Justice – Child Abuse Factsheet).
• Any child, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, cultural identity, socio-economic status, spirituality, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities or personality, may be the victim of neglect. There is no one cause for abuse and so anyone is at risk.
• Many experts have linked neglect to larger issues of inequality among people in our society. Therefore, perhaps by equalizing the people in our society (tackling sexism, classism, racism, homophobia, etc.) we could diminish neglect and other forms of child abuse (Long-term Socio-economic Impact of Child Abuse and Neglect).

What you can do

• If you are a victim of neglect, it is important to your survival that you tell someone.
• There are people in our community with the ability to help you. Turn to your school, the police, the hospital, community centres, neighbours and friends.
• It is impossible to deal with neglect alone.
• If you suspect that someone you know is being neglected, talk to the person about it. Sadly, victims usually internalize the abuse as something they deserve and feel ashamed of it. They may dismiss your concerns at first. However, know that your talking about it may be the first steps in the victim seeking help.
• If you are a survivor of abuse, it is still important to talk to authorities and community members of your abuse. This is important for two reasons:
  • Child abuse has to be taken out of the shadows of our communities. Victims should not feel ashamed or embarrassed of their abuse. Until we open up a community-wide dialogue on this issue, these feeling will remain and abuse will continue.
  • Secondly, depending on its forms, duration and severity, abuse can affect a person long after the abuse has stopped. It can affect all parts of a victim’s life: psychological, physical, behavioural, academic, sexual, interpersonal, self-perceptual and spiritual.

Report

Health Canada. Child Maltreatment in Canada – Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect: Selected Results. Report prepared by Nico Trocmé and David Wolfe. Ottawa: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2001.

Links

Child Neglect – Child Protection
Safer Child Inc.
Possible Indicators of Child Neglect
Department of Justice – Child Abuse Factsheet