Flynn publishes report on child neglect laws about lack of supervision
Assistant Professor of Child & Adolescent Development Rachel Flynn published a study titled, “The unintended consequences of ‘lack of supervision’ child neglect laws: How developmental science can inform policies about childhood independence and child protection,” in the Social Policy Report, a journal of the Society for Research in Child Development. The article reviews both U.S. and international policies regarding child neglect laws drawing attention to the fact that more stringent child neglect laws, such as those common in most U.S. states, may in fact be undermining children’s development.
The laws and policies concerning child neglect are often misaligned with what developmental scientists know about child development — namely, that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and that the milestones of development are highly child-, context- and culturally-dependent. Many states include a general age limit for when children can be left unsupervised, but these age limits likely lead to the overinclusion of children who are developmentally ready for more independence and the underinclusion of those who are not.
The authors argue that in almost all of the U.S. laws and policies governing supervisory neglect, there is inadequate attention to the physical, cognitive and social developmental status of the children involved. Most importantly, the report points out how neglect of children’s developmental trajectories and their need for independence has led to poorly-informed social policies that may be impeding children’s healthy development and leading to families being prosecuted by child protection authorities for allowing children to participate in everyday age-appropriate activities unsupervised.
The authors also make recommendations to parents/caregivers, legislators, advocates, and developmental scientists to better align practice with research. This is a social justice issue that should resonate across party, racial and class lines.
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