There is a common misconception in our society that it is not possible for children from affluent or wealthy families to be neglected and that neglect goes hand in hand with poverty. 

There is also a bias amongst professionals that reports of abuse in wealthy families cannot be true due to the income of the family and their class.  This blog examines what affluent neglect is and some signs of affluent neglect. 

What is Neglect?

According to NSPCC guidance neglect is the ongoing failure to meet a child’s basic needs. Neglect is also the most common form of child abuse in the UK and can have longlasting effects on that child’s physical and mental wellbeing. 

NSPCC recognises 4 types of neglect:

Physical neglect – Basic needs such as food, clothing or shelter are not met. 

Educational neglect – A parent or carer does not ensure their child is receiving education 

Emotional neglect – The child or young person does not receive the nurture they require 

Medical neglect – Not given access to proper health care including dental care 

What is Affluent Neglect? 

Affluent neglect refers to neglect experienced by children in wealthy or affluent families. Often these children experience the same neglect or abuse as others, however in wealthy families neglect can be difficult to spot, as the type of neglect is often emotional. 

Children from wealthy families may experience the following forms of affluent neglect.

Emotional Neglect from their Parent

Often in wealthy families the parents work longer hours and employ carers to look after their children. This can result in an emotional disconnection and leave children feeling emotionally unfulfilled. Similarly a lot of wealthy households send their children to boarding schools which can result in further distancing themselves emotionally from their children. Children who suffer from affluent neglect can also experience gaslighting when they attempt to express their concerns due to their backgrounds and the family they come room.

Academic Pressures 

Often wealthy parents have high academic expectations for their children. Research from the London School of Economics and York St John University revealed that high levels of perfectionism experienced by students are often linked to rising parent expectations which can lead to various mental health issues. Many affluent families also send their children to private or boarding schools due to the perceived higher quality of education associated with these types of educational institutions

The Toxic Trio 

There are three factors that make up the Toxic Trio:

  1. Alcohol and substance abuse
  2. Domestic violence
  3. Parent mental illness 

The Toxic Trio are often considered problems that occur in lower-class families that straddle the poverty line; however, the exact same issues are also found in affluent families and have just as much impact on the children in these households. 

Parentification 

Parentification is a term which refers to a child or children being forced to take on the role of a supportive adult within their family. This could be caring for young siblings, physically caring for an adult or parent or even emotionally caring for a parent. In affluent families, children are often forced into emotional parentification due to the emotional neglect being experienced or to sooth siblings who are also experiencing the academic pressure to succeed.  

Affluent Neglect in our society 

In 2018, Goldsmiths University conducted a study with the Department of Community and Children’s Services. In this study it revealed that wealthy households were effectively opting out of the child protection system and that children’s services were biased towards poorer families when it came to reports of sexual exploitation and emotional abuse. 

The study was led by Professor Claudia Bernard, who said neglect cases in affluent areas often went “under the radar” due to the fact that many professionals have deep-set beliefs that neglect only happens in poor and dysfunctional families.

For the study, social workers serving in 12 different local authorities around the UK were interviewed. Many were frustrated by the way wealthy families would treat them, complaining of feeling belittled by threats of complaints, wanting to speak only to their manager, or contacting colleagues or friends in high places for support. 

Children from affluent families often have more complex safeguarding needs as well due to factors such as being looked after by paid carers or belonging to a boarding school. 

Supporting Students who Suffer from Affluent Neglect

Farrer & Co have created a document to help support educators to handle cases of affluence neglect. They break support and intervention down into 3 steps.

Step 1: Understand ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and their impact 

Step 2: Provide the building blocks of resilience to all pupils 

Step 3: Create a whole school environment which is “trauma informed” 

Check out their document here. 

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