Neglect is a passive form of abuse in which the perpetrator is responsible to provide care for a victim who is unable to care for oneself, but fails to provide adequate care to meet the victim's needs, thereby resulting in the victim's demise.
My godson (John) is 8 years old. His mother (Mary Ann) recently started dating this guy (Earl) and they spend a lot of time together. John have communicated to me that his mother doesn’t spend time with him as she did before she started dating Earl. I observed the situation and discover that John is telling the truth. John’s mother is always going away on the weekend with Earl. Mary Ann never incorporates John with any activities that she and Earl are doing. John feels as if he is not love by his mother and he feels as if Earl doesn’t like him. John reaches out to me for love. Whenever my kids and I go out to eat dinner and to the movies, I always invite John to come along. John spends a lot of time at my house. He hates being at home with his mother, especially when Earl is there. John’s mother is my friend and I don’t know how to approach her without making her upset. John is very stressed from the situation. His grades are dropping and his self esteem is very low. I spend a lot of time with him by helping him with his homework, talking to him about his friends and encourage him to do his best in life.