A neglected child is defined as?

• A. A child less than 18 whose physical, mental or emotional condition has been impaired
• B. A child less than 10 who is hungry
• C. A child less than 18 who has been physically injured by someone else
• D. A child with no family

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how neglect is defined: it’s about a caregiver’s failure to provide for a child’s essential needs, resulting in impairment to the child’s physical, mental, or emotional condition. The correct choice describes a child under 18 whose physical, mental, or emotional condition has been impaired due to not receiving proper care, supervision, or a safe environment. That impairment-based definition differentiates neglect from hunger alone, which is just a symptom, and from abuse (injury by someone else) or from the absence of a family, which don’t by themselves define neglect. So this option best captures the standard understanding of neglect in child welfare terms.