Causes Poverty and homelessness are often causes of child abandonment. People living in countries with poor social welfare systems (i.e. China, Myanmar, Mexico, the United States, and other countries) who are not financially capable of taking care of a child are more likely to abandon their children because of a lack of resources. In some cases the parents already have a child or children, but are unable to take care of another child at that time. In societies where young women and young men are looked down upon for being teenage or single mothers and single fathers, child abandonment is more common. Children born out of the confines of marriage may be abandoned in a family's attempt to prevent being shamed by their community. Physical disability, mental illness, and substance abuse problems that parents face. Children who are born with congenital disorders or other health complications may be abandoned if their parents feel unequipped to provide them with the level of care that their condition requires. In cultures where the sex of the child is of utmost importance, parents are more likely to abandon a baby of the undesired sex. Similarly, people may choose to pursue the often controversial option of sex-selective abortion.Citro, Brian; Gilson, Je; Kalantry, Sital; Stricker, Kelsey; University of Chicago Law School. International Human Rights Clinic; National Asian Paci c American Women's Forum (U.S.); and Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (Organization), "Replacing Myths with Facts: Sex-Selective Abortion Laws in the United States" (2014). Cornell Law Faculty Publications. Paper 1399. http://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/facpub/1399 Political conditions, such as war and displacement of a family, also cause parents to abandon their children. Additionally, a parent being incarcerated or deported can result in the involuntary abandonment of a child, even if the parent(s) did not voluntarily relinquish their parental role. Disownment of a child is a form of abandonment that entails ending contact with and support for one's dependent. Disownment tends to occur later in a child's life, generally due to a conflict between the parent(s) and the child, but can also occur when children are still young. Reasons include: divorce of parents, discovering the true paternity of a child, and a child's actions bringing shame to a family; most commonly, breaking the law, teenage pregnancy, major religious or ideological differences, and identifying as LGBT.
Causes Poverty and homelessness are often causes of child abandonment. People living in countries with poor social welfare systems (i.e. China, Myanmar, Mexico, the United States, and other countries) who are not financially capable of taking care of a child are more likely to abandon their children because of a lack of resources. In some cases the parents already have a child or children, but are unable to take care of another child at that time. In societies where young women and young men are looked down upon for being teenage or single mothers and single fathers, child abandonment is more common. Children born out of the confines of marriage may be abandoned in a family's attempt to prevent being shamed by their community. Physical disability, mental illness and substance abuse problems that parents face. Children who are born with congenital disorders or other health complications may be abandoned if their parents feel unequipped to provide them with the level of care that their condition requires. In cultures where the sex of the child is of utmost importance, parents are more likely to abandon a baby of the undesired sex. Similarly, people may choose to pursue the often controversial option of sex-selective abortion.Citro, Brian; Gilson, Je; Kalantry, Sital; Stricker, Kelsey; University of Chicago Law School. International Human Rights Clinic; National Asian Paci c American Women's Forum (U.S.); and Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (Organization), "Replacing Myths with Facts: Sex-Selective Abortion Laws in the United States" (2014). Cornell Law Faculty Publications. Paper 1399. http://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/facpub/1399 Political conditions, such as war and displacement of a family, also cause parents to abandon their children. Additionally, a parent being incarcerated or deported can result in the involuntary abandonment of a child even if the parent(s) did not voluntarily relinquish their parental role. Disownment of a child is a form of abandonment that entails ending contact with and support for one's dependent. Disownment tends to occur later in a child's life, generally due to a conflict between the parent(s) and the child, but can also occur when children are still young. Reasons include: divorce of parents, discovering the true paternity of a child, and a child's actions bringing shame to a family; most commonly, breaking the law, teenage pregnancy, major, religious or ideological differences, and identifying as LGBT.