Several problems are identified as contributing to the lack of empirical knowledge about child neglect: definitional problems, the difficulty of substantiation, its association with poverty, and a lack of prioritization among child protection agencies. The author illustrates how a lack of consensus regarding the definition of neglect in both the United States and the United Kingdom has rendered researchers and policy makers helpless to adequately address the problem through research and legislation. What constitutes child neglect is also a problem facing child protection agencies investigating allegations of neglect. Substantiating neglect is difficult because it constitutes the absence of a desired set of conditions or behaviors. Coupled with a standard definition of child neglect, it is little wonder that child protection agencies prioritize the investigation of child abuse cases over those of child neglect cases. Critics also point out that the so-called relationship between poverty and child neglect is actually a function of parenting behavior, which can operate independently of economic hardship. The author contends that in order to raise awareness and understanding of child neglect, the term should be defined in clear and concise terms, intensive training on child neglect should be administered to all child protection workers, and a critical time scale for child neglect should be established. References