▁have ▁been ▁linked ▁with ▁a ▁parent ' s ▁in ability ▁to ▁meet ▁a ▁child ' s ▁needs . ▁Like wise , ▁subst ance ▁mis use ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁cru cial ▁role ▁in ▁und erm ining ▁a ▁parent ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁parent al ▁respons ib ilities . ▁While ▁the ▁literature ▁largely ▁focus es ▁on ▁moth ers , ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁f athers ▁in ▁neglect ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁their ▁absence ▁remains ▁largely ▁un expl ored . ▁There ▁is ▁still ▁little ▁known ▁about ▁whether ▁moth ers ▁and ▁f athers ▁neglect ▁differently ▁and ▁how ▁this ▁affect s ▁children . ▁Similarly , ▁not ▁much ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁whether ▁girls ▁and ▁boys ▁experience ▁neglect ▁differently . ▁ ▁Inter - person al / family ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁inter - person al / family ▁level , ▁a ▁significant ▁number ▁of ▁neglect ful ▁families ▁are ▁head ed ▁by ▁a ▁l one ▁mother ▁or ▁have ▁a ▁trans ient ▁male . ▁Un stable ▁and ▁ab us ive ▁relationships ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁mentioned ▁as ▁increasing ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁child ▁neglect . ▁The ▁impact ▁of ▁living ▁with ▁domestic ▁violence ▁on ▁children ▁frequently ▁includes ▁either ▁direct ▁violence ▁or ▁forced ▁witness ing ▁of ▁ab use , ▁which ▁is ▁potentially ▁very ▁dam aging ▁to ▁children . ▁While ▁the ▁UK ▁Department ▁of ▁Health ▁connect s ▁children ' s ▁expos ure ▁to ▁domestic ▁violence ▁to ▁parents ' ▁failure ▁to ▁protect ▁them ▁from ▁emot ional ▁harm , ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁" fail ure ▁to ▁protect " ▁has ▁been ▁challeng ed ▁as ▁it ▁focus