The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage was a practitioner workshop from which data were obtained about perceptions of neglect. The second stage consisted of a sample survey of 20 cases registered in the category of neglect. Key workers of these cases were interviewed by means of semistructured interview schedules based on material from the workshop. One major finding was that practitioners perceive neglect to be a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that cannot easily be defined. Out of 35 factors identified by practitioners as being possibly significant in defining neglect, the mean score for the number of factors reported as being significant per individual case was 18.5. This implies that there is no one factor that, taken alone, can define neglect. Neglect apparently is a loosely defined category indicative of concerns about the quality of child care. Neglect was also perceived as long-term. Eighteen out of 20 sample families were previously known to Social Services, many over a considerable length of time. Factors that related to parents/caregivers scored consistently high, as did emotional/relationship factors in defining neglect. Social factors connected with poverty and deprivation scored consistently high throughout the sample. The professional uncertainty associated with neglect suggests the need for guidance and training for child protection workers in the area of neglect. 16 references