Question

A new patient, a 12-year-old child, comes to your medical office wearing dirty, slightly smelly clothes. When you chat with him, you discover that his parents rarely do laundry, do not have a washing machine, and do not provide their children with money or help with getting their clothes clean on their own. Furthermore, the child is underweight and does not seem to be eating well. Which of the following is described in this situation?

1) verbal abuse
2) neglect
3) physical abuse
4) domestic violence

Answer 1

The situation with the child in dirty clothes and being underweight is an example of neglect, the most common form of child abuse typically perpetrated by parents.

Step-by-step explanation:

The situation described with a 12-year-old child coming to a medical office in dirty clothes and being underweight points towards neglect. Neglect is a form of child abuse that involves failing to provide essential basic needs such as clean clothing and proper nutrition. According to statistics, neglect is the most common form of child abuse, and in most cases, parents are the perpetrators. In instances where parents have access to resources or public services to help take care of their children and still fail to do so, child welfare services may intervene.