
Affluent neglect. Yes, you read that right. Affluent neglect is a term I recently stumbled on but have always known about it for years – especially my days working as a front-line social worker in affluent Boroughs.
Many people may know what Neglect is. It is the persistent failure to meet a child’s physical and/or psychological needs. It is the most common form of abuse in the UK and around 1 in 10 children have been neglected. Neglect can include failing to provide adequate food, shelter or medical attention, failing to ensure a child is properly supervised and could include the neglect of a child’s basic emotional needs. However, we are seeing more and more cases of ‘Affluent Neglect’ in child protection work.
Affluent neglect may be difficult to spot straight away, as you may have your unconscious blinders on at first. It is a term used to describe the neglect that children experience living in more wealthier families. This neglect often stems from a sense of privilege or comfort that leads to a disconnect from experiences outside individual’s socio-economic bubble. In a broader context, affluent neglect can also relate to how wealthier individuals or groups may be less likely to empathise with or acknowledge the struggles of those who are less affluent, resulting in inadequate support for community programs or policies that benefit disadvantaged populations.
I remember my days as a front-line Social Worker in a wealthy Council that was very well resourced. To give you some context, the Borough is known for its high property prices, expensive restaurants and bars, and boutique shops. I remember working with a family whereby there were concerns around parental drug use. Both parents had very good jobs, one having their own successful company and the other a solicitor.
During home visits, parents would try to intimidate me by requesting that their lawyer sat in during the visits. Clearly looking for ways to try and ‘trip me up’. All I could think of was parents’ avoidance of the real issue that was at hand which was their concerning drug use. Their child had access to the best of the best. 3-4 different extra-curricular activities per week, travelling every summer holiday to at least 3 different countries, private school access, a private chef, a nanny. The list was endless. Whilst these things should be celebrated and I had no concerns about this, one of the main issues at hand where parents’ inability to provide the emotional availability their child needed, and also a lack of supervision due to parents workload.
As a newly qualified social worker at the time, supervision with my manager really helped me to think objectively and critically about this family. I had to consciously put aside my own frustrations with the parents and think about things from the lens of the child. One thing I quickly recognised was that whilst there are significant challenges for families living in poverty and deprivation, this does not mean that abuse, neglect and exploitation can’t or does not happen within families with higher incomes.
I think affluent neglect is certainly a form of neglect that needs to be spoken about more and brought to the forefront of our practice as social workers or any professional working with children.
I would like to hear what your views or experiences are about this issue…
Love this! Eye opening article 😁
Interesting read! Didn’t know such neglect existed!