physical neglect
Failing basic care
Physical neglect is the failure to provide for a dependent person's basic bodily needs—food, shelter, clothing, hygiene, or medical care.
The term appears most often in child welfare and elder care contexts, where caregivers have legal responsibility for another's wellbeing: The caseworker documented signs of physical neglect.
Distinguished from emotional neglect, which involves withholding affection or attention rather than material necessities.
- abandonmentAct of leaving permanently
- child protective servicesAgency investigating abuse and neglect
- hungerNeed for nourishment
- malnourishedLacking proper nutrition
- failure to thriveInadequate childhood growth diagnosis
missed meals · dirty · unkempt · unwashed · bruises · thin · hollow · cold · isolation · left alone · forgotten · invisible · silent · bare · empty · cupboards · filthy · matted
- neglectabandonment, carelessness, disregard, omission, inaction
- childhood traumaabuse, emotional abuse, ACEs, verbal abuse, sexual abuse
physical neglectnurturing
Supportive care-giving
doting · caretaking · looking after · pampering · overprotection
physical neglectphysical abuse
Intentional bodily harm
emotional abuse · psychological abuse · emotional neglect · sexual abuse · verbal abuse
physical, physically, physic, physics, physician, physicians, physicality, neglect, neglects