Many studies exploring child neglect victim effects focus on child maltreatment groups for which inclusion criteria tend to be broad. Subjects often come from both child neglect cases and child physical abuse cases, leaving the relation between child neglect and developmental outcomes unclear. Beyond definitional and theoretical issues, subject recruitment practices have important implications for the study of child neglect. From the developmental perspective, effects of neglectful parental behavior depend on the child's needs. The developmental perspective emphasizes that the developing individual is embedded in and dynamically interactive with a social context. Studies of the impact of neglect on the physical well-being of children frequently focus on the early stages of life, including prior to birth. Neglected children, when compared with matched comparison children, demonstrate deficits in language ability and intelligence. Numerous researchers also report a link between childhood neglect and adverse social and behavioral development and psychological adjustment. Conceptual concerns associated with child neglect research highlight the need for additional study to develop and promote classification systems that organize victims of neglect in a developmentally sensitive fashion. The recruitment of subjects from ecological systems other than social service referrals may broaden the understanding of the developmental impact of child neglect. 41 references