Child abuse and child neglect are two harmful actions towards children, which threaten the health, safety, and development of a child. Both child abuse and child neglect can result in a child welfare case, so contact a dependable New Jersey DYFS lawyer right away. While both of these actions are harmful to a child, they are both caused by different actions. Below, our NJ DYFS law firm will go into a bit more on how you can differentiate between child abuse and child neglect.

What is Child Abuse?

Children can be abused in many ways. Whether it be physical, emotional, or sexual, child abuse is when a parent or caregiver is harming a child, or putting that child at risk of harm. Abuse can happen once, or it can be a series of events done by the parent or caretaker. Inflicting physical injury, emotionally abusing a child, or involving a child in a sexual act are all examples of child abuse. Any of these can psychologically and physically damage a child.

What is Child Neglect?

Child neglect is just as harmful as child abuse, although it differs in the sense that there is a lack of action by the caregiver. Meaning, if a parent of caregiver doesn’t give their child the proper care needed as a child, such as sufficient shelter, clothing, food, medical care, supervision, and education. While neglect is usually a string of ongoing mistreatment, it can also occur from one instance.

Being able to distinguish the difference between these two terms is very important. It is crucial to understand your rights when discussing your child and his or her safety. If you are facing accusations that you have abused or neglected your child, our team of New Jersey custody lawyers are dedicated and hardworking individuals, determined to help you get your child into the right hands. Call our 24 hour toll-free hotline now at 1-855-9JEFLAW (1-855-953-3529) to discuss your case.