Early Neglect Leads to Aggressive Behavior in Kids

Kids who are neglected before they turn two display higher levels of aggressive behavior between ages 4 and 8, according to a new study.

According to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, early child neglect may be as important as child abuse for predicting aggressive behavior.

"The lack of attention devoted to the problem of neglect - the so-called 'neglect of neglect' - is a long-standing concern in the child welfare field," said study co-author Jon Hussey, research assistant professor of maternal and child health in the UNC School of Public Health and a fellow at the Carolina Population Center.

"Despite being more common than abuse, we know relatively little about the impact of neglect on children," Hussey added.

In the study, more than 1,300 children participated in the longitudinal study, which is coordinated by the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC).

All were known to have been maltreated or were at risk of maltreatment. They were monitored from birth through age 8.

A child was considered neglected if his parents or caregivers did not provide adequate supervision or failed to meet the child's minimum physical needs for food, clothing and shelter. Abuse was defined as either sexual or physical.

Aggression - arguing, cruelty to others, destruction of property, disobedience, threatening people and fighting or physically attacking others - was based on perceptions of the child's primary caregiver, who was interviewed when the child was aged 4, 6 and 8.

"This isn't the first time we've seen evidence suggesting that in some circumstances, neglect can be as harmful to children as abuse," said Hussey.

"Understanding the consequences of early childhood neglect will help us plan programs and other interventions to benefit these children throughout their lives," Hussey added.

The study is published in the journal Pediatrics.

Source-ANI
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