The Science of Neglect

Here's another great video from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University:

Extensive biological and developmental research shows significant neglect—the ongoing disruption or significant absence of caregiver responsiveness—can cause more harm to a young child’s development than overt physical abuse, including subsequent cognitive delays, impairments in executive functioning, and disruptions of the body’s stress response. This edition of the InBrief series explains why significant deprivation is so harmful in the earliest years of life and why effective interventions are likely to pay significant dividends in better long-term outcomes in learning, health, and parenting of the next generation.

Here's the working paper that accompanies this -- The Science of Neglect: The Persistent Absence of Responsive Care Disrupts the Developing Brain