. ▁The ▁circumstances ▁and ▁intent ional ity ▁must ▁be ▁exam ined ▁before ▁defining ▁behavior ▁as ▁neglect ful . ▁ ▁Child ▁neglect ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁frequent ▁form ▁of ▁child ▁ab use , ▁with ▁children ▁born ▁to ▁young ▁moth ers ▁at ▁a ▁substantial ▁risk ▁for ▁neglect . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁state ▁and ▁local ▁Child ▁Prote ct ive ▁Services ▁( CP S ) ▁received ▁ 3 . 3 ▁million ▁reports ▁of ▁children ▁being ▁ab used ▁or ▁neglect ed . ▁ ▁Se vent y - one ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁children ▁were ▁class ified ▁as ▁vict ims ▁of ▁child ▁neglect ▁(" Child ▁Ab use ▁& ▁Neg lect "). ▁M alt re ated ▁children ▁were ▁about ▁five ▁times ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁first ▁emer gency ▁department ▁presentation ▁for ▁suic ide ▁related ▁behavior , ▁compared ▁to ▁their ▁pe ers , ▁in ▁both ▁boys ▁and ▁girls . ▁ ▁Children ▁perman ently ▁removed ▁from ▁their ▁parent al ▁home ▁because ▁of ▁subst anti ated ▁child ▁ab use , ▁are ▁also ▁at ▁an ▁increased ▁risk ▁of ▁a ▁first ▁presentation ▁to ▁the ▁emer gency ▁department ▁for ▁suic ide ▁related ▁behavior . ▁Neg lect ed ▁children ▁are ▁at ▁risk ▁of ▁developing ▁lif el ong ▁social , ▁emot ional ▁and ▁health ▁problems , ▁particularly ▁if ▁neglect ed ▁before ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁two ▁years . ▁ ▁Definition ▁Neg lect ▁is ▁difficult ▁to ▁define , ▁since ▁there ▁are ▁no ▁clear , ▁cross - c ult ural ▁standards ▁for ▁des irable ▁or ▁minim ally ▁ade qu ate ▁child - re