es ▁primarily ▁on ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁the ▁ab used ▁parent , ▁usually ▁the ▁mother , ▁who ▁is ▁often ▁herself ▁at ▁significant ▁risk . ▁A ▁recent ▁reform ▁to ▁the ▁Dom estic ▁Vi ol ence , ▁Crime ▁and ▁Vict ims ▁Act ▁( 2 0 0 4 ) ▁has ▁introduced ▁a ▁new ▁off ence ▁of ▁causing ▁or ▁allowing ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁a ▁child ▁or ▁vulner able ▁adult , ▁thus ▁rein for cing ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁" fail ure ▁to ▁protect ". ▁Research ▁on ▁domestic ▁violence , ▁however , ▁has ▁consist ently ▁shown ▁that ▁supporting ▁the ▁non - ab us ive ▁parent ▁is ▁good ▁child ▁protection . ▁There ▁is ▁some ▁indic ation ▁of ▁the ▁cy clic al ▁and ▁inter - gener ational ▁nature ▁of ▁neglect . ▁A ▁study ▁on ▁child hood ▁ab use ▁and ▁the ▁mother ' s ▁later ▁ability ▁to ▁be ▁sensitive ▁to ▁a ▁child ' s ▁emot ions ▁showed ▁that ▁moth ers ▁with ▁a ▁self - report ed ▁history ▁of ▁physical ▁ab use ▁had ▁higher ▁indic ations ▁of ▁ins ens itivity ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁att un ement ▁to ▁inf ants ’ ▁emot ional ▁c ues ▁than ▁moth ers ▁with ▁no ▁history ▁of ▁ab use . ▁Although ▁the ▁literature ▁suggests ▁that ▁neglect ful ▁parents ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁affected ▁advers ely ▁by ▁their ▁own ▁past ▁experiences , ▁more ▁research ▁is ▁needed ▁to ▁explore ▁the ▁link ▁between ▁past ▁experiences ▁of ▁m alt re at ment ▁and ▁neglect ful ▁parent ing ▁behav i ours . ▁Al co hol ▁and ▁drug ▁ab use ▁in ▁care g ivers ▁are ▁important ▁risk