CHILD NEGLECT IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS REPORT LAUNCHED

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action commissioned Proteknon to conduct a literature review on the prevalence, patterns and impacts of child neglect in humanitarian contexts. The data show that child neglect is both the most common form of child maltreatment and the leading cause of death in child maltreatment cases. Even so, neglect has been not well understood, particularly in humanitarian contexts. Further research and rigorous analysis are required in order to understand the complex relationship between humanitarian crises and child neglect and to equip the child protection community to design effective, appropriate and well-targeted interventions. Particularly critical is the need to determine what constitutes neglect in humanitarian settings—as opposed to general deprivation or inadequate caregiving—to establish thresholds for a child protection response. Currently no such policy or practice guides exist. As child protection actors coordinate with other sectors across humanitarian and development settings, child neglect can become more clearly defined, identified and addressed. To read the report, click here.