Policing responses to child neglect: it’s not just about crime investigation

Child neglect is a serious and pervasive form of child maltreatment with far-reaching developmental, health and social consequences for children across the life span. Whilst neglect may reach a criminal threshold, the nature of neglect often means it does not. Identifying and responding to neglect are especially difficult for police because of the complexities associated with it. This chapter addresses the knowledge officers need to discharge their duties relating to the criminal and safeguarding aspects of neglect (HM Government, 2023). The first half of the chapter defines neglect, framed by wider debates in research, policy and practice; highlighting the contested nature of the term. It also examines the evidence about neglected children, who neglects them, risk factors and indicators for neglect, and its impact. The second half examines practice challenges and approaches in identifying and responding to neglect, and, where it reaches criminal thresholds, investigating it. The terminology of ‘victimology’ and ‘perpetrators’ is generally avoided, to acknowledge criminal thresholds are not always met. Moreover, neglect is often determined by multiple risk factors and underlying systemic problems, such as inequality and poverty, which can make it difficult to disentangle parental or carer ‘intent’.