- fact ors ▁for ▁rec urrent ▁child ▁m alt re at ment ▁after ▁account ing ▁for ▁other ▁known ▁risk ▁factors ; ▁the ▁increased ▁risk ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁similar ▁between ▁alco hol ▁and ▁drug ▁ab use . ▁ ▁Social / e conom ic ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁social / e conom ic ▁level , ▁the ▁association ▁between ▁pover ty ▁and ▁neglect ▁has ▁frequently ▁been ▁made . ▁A ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁m alt re at ment ▁of ▁children ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Society ▁for ▁the ▁Pre vention ▁of ▁Cru el ty ▁to ▁Children ▁supports ▁the ▁association ▁between ▁neglect ▁and ▁lower ▁so cio - e conom ic ▁class . ▁US ▁studies ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁less ▁aff lu ent ▁families ▁are ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁found ▁to ▁m alt re at ▁their ▁children , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁neglect ▁and ▁physical ▁ab use , ▁than ▁aff lu ent ▁families . ▁Some ▁argue ▁that ▁many ▁forms ▁of ▁physical ▁neglect , ▁such ▁as ▁in ade qu ate ▁cl othing , ▁expos ure ▁to ▁environmental ▁ha z ards ▁and ▁poor ▁h yg iene ▁may ▁be ▁directly ▁attributed ▁to ▁pover ty ▁whereas ▁others ▁are ▁more ▁c aut ious ▁in ▁making ▁a ▁direct ▁link . ▁Studies ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁parents ▁in ▁a ▁low ▁so cio e conom ic ▁level ▁are ▁less ▁likely ▁to ▁purchase ▁resources ▁needed ▁for ▁their ▁children , ▁which ▁makes ▁them ▁experience ▁school ▁failure ▁at ▁a ▁more ▁frequent ▁level . ▁While ▁pover ty ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁lik elihood ▁of ▁neglect , ▁pover ty ▁does ▁not ▁pred et erm ine