English Language

School Based Assessment

Candidate name:
Candidate no.: 090045
Centre Name: St. Joseph High
Centre No.: 090045
Territory: Guyana
Year of Exam: 2023
Teacher: Ms. Bentick
Subject: English Language
Topic: Child Neglect
 Plan of Investigation

My colleagues and I decided to work on the topic child neglect which is a broad topic. My topic

of focus will be solely on the negative effect child neglection has on children’s health. Research

and observations have shown that nothing good has come from child neglect such as

malnutrition. It is a topic that has me hooked and interested. I want to enlighten myself and

others around me on this topic.

Upon researching and learning more about this topic will be beneficial to me and hopefully to

others. It will help me in the future and hopefully to become a better person. It will broaden my

sense of what is going on in our everyday life and around the world. Doing this research in some

way will prevent me from making the same mistakes that others have made.

My method of gathering information will be somewhat difficult. I will go around me

neighborhood and take a survey, possible consult a few people on what they think. I will go

through articles, look over some past papers and even ask my relatives for help. I will use the

internet and Google to my advantage to make my work presentable and captivating. I will make

the most out of my given resources and will help my team in any way possible.
 Acknowledgement

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my teacher who has helped and guided me

throughout the completion for this SBA, my parents and my siblings for their complete support

and helping hand along the way. I would also like to thank my friends for motivating me to get

the work done and for advising me along the way.

Introduction
Child neglect is known as the failure of parents or a parent who was placed with the

responsibility to provide the child with food, medical care, clothing, shelter, a good education

and a happy childhood. Having done reading and seen documentaries that dealt with this I

became very curious and decided to dig deeper.

This being the third level of learning for my colleagues and I, have been presented with

the opportunity to socialize with individuals of all ages. Based on our information gathered from

my fellow students, teachers and other individuals, we have learnt that children were mostly

suffering from neglect which included financial, educational, emotional, and medical support.

Content Page
 Plan of Investigation

 Reflection

 Group written report

 Overview of oral presentation

 Oral presentation

 Conclusion

 Appendix

 Reference
 REFLECTION
ENTRY #1

When I started my research, I didn’t have the slightest idea as to what child neglect was. One

thing I did know for sure was that you have to be an extremely strong individual to deal with

being neglected. Upon watching a YouTube video ‘What is medical neglect’ by Legal Guide, I

now have a better understanding on what medical neglect really is. It’s basically when a parent/

guardian is capable of providing medical attention but refuses to do so. This may cause several

health issues which may be mild or severe. Failure to provide a child with medical help may

potentially worsen their illness which can possibly lead to death. Words can’t possibly explain

the pain I feel for these children. Going on to reading the article titled ‘Medical Neglect of a

Child’ written by Katie Hamblen, I learnt even more about the devastating and long-lasting

effects of medical neglect. Reading through the stories of some people’s experience with

neglect was really heart wrenching and heart breaking. I grew to learn more about some

actions considered to be medical neglect, consequences associated with neglect and more.

Afterwards, I went through the poem written by Dr. Celestine Manohar titled ‘Parents, Neglect

Not Thy Children’ and I became down reading all of this. Personally, I’ll never be able to

understand or feel what it means to be neglected but my heart goes out to those who are going

through this pain. I learnt so much in a short time and I hope to educate others about medical

neglect. As of right now, I’m starting to see what is needed of me and my final report.
 Entry 2

The article titled ‘Medical Neglect of a Child’ written by Katie Hamblen was very

enlightening and educational. It provided much needed information on child neglect and

informing of what it entails. It helps us as individuals to get a clearer view of what exactly child

neglect is and the feelings of the children or more specifically what they are going through.

The poem written by Dr. Celestine Manohar titled ‘Parents, Neglect Not Thy Child’ the

author does a great in informing her audience and letting them know what neglection can do to

an individual. It says that there is no point in working hard and not being able to teach your

child the values of life which goes very deep. The tone used really sets a vivid image about child

neglect from not being neglected then moving to being neglected and then to the point where

you get too much and become spoilt.

Also, the YouTube video called ‘What is Medical Neglect’ by Legal Guide, sets a very

intuitive tone and a very depressed and sad mood. It really goes in-depth as to what child

neglect is and how poorly children are treated. It sets up a very heart-breaking mood as well. It

goes after those parents who have no heart and neglect their children. It goes on to ask ‘What

is the point of having children if you just plan on neglecting them?’

 Entry 3

Upon the completion of doing my research I learned a lot and got a boost of confidence whilst

working with a group. Myself being the researcher has already started to benefit academically

and socially from this research. My social skills have improved quite a bit and my knowledge

capacity has grown as well. I felt as though my vocabulary skills have improved and I now have

a better understanding of medical neglect as a whole and became a whole lot more grateful for

what I have been provided with.

 Group Written Report

When we first started this SBA, my colleagues and I were unsure of what to do but with clear

and vivid explanations from the teacher we soon put on our thinking caps and began to work.

After that we chose group members and a topic to work with. We chose to work on Child

Neglect and we were each assigned a different subtopic. Danvir Narine: Physical Neglect,

Videsh Persaud: Educational Neglect, Aderiel Persaud: Causes of Neglect, Christopher Bisram:

Emotional Neglect, Daniel Sidnauth: Medical Neglect. The 3 artifacts were obtained but it was a

little challenging. These pieces were an article, a video and a poem. They proved to be accurate

and knowledgeable and delivered a very clear message. The article ‘Medical Neglect of a child’

gives a clear idea of neglect and the effects of neglect whilst the video ‘What is medical neglect’

goes more indepth of medical neglect and some reasons that may contribute to medical

neglect. Lastly, the poem ‘Parents neglect not thy children’ sets on to let parents know not to

neglect their children and also gives reasons as to why they shouldn’t do it.

The number of articles collected in total was fifteen each portraying and representing its

different subtopic. The article selected by Videsh titled ‘Truancy and Educational Neglect’

focuses solely on what is neglect as a whole and educational neglect as well. This article

highlights how important it is for children to go to school, be educated and socialize. It also

highlights the negative effects of neglect such as school dropout or even teenage pregnancy. In

the poem selected by Danvir titled ‘Neglect’ attacks parents who neglect their children. It uses a

formal and serious tone questioning parents as to why they neglect their children. The

intentions of the poet are very clear and are conveyed through the poem. The youtube video
selected by Christopher titled ‘What is emotional neglect’ explains emotional neglect and how

to cope with it. It looks at it from a child’s perspective and gets in touch with the child’s

feelings. It lists what may be the reason for emotional neglect such as parents may have other

siblings to attend to or maybe the parent just doesn’t care. Aderiel was tasked to find out the

causes for child neglect. He found a PDF file written by Esmina Avdibegovic titles ‘Causes and

Consequences of child neglect’. It gives a clear and in-depth introduction of child neglect and

what it actually is. It later moves on to the causes of child neglect. It makes very important

points such as age and gender may not contribute to neglect but maybe behavior and attitude

but it also points out that those still aren’t good enough reasons to put a young child through

that kind of punishment.

Fortunately, there were no issues with while gathering materials and working together.

It was very eye opening and knowledgeable. The article ‘Medical Neglect of a child’ was written

by Katie Hamblen and was published on November 22, 2018. The YouTube video titles ‘What is

emotional neglect’ uploaded by The School of Life was published on March 3, 2021. The poem

titled ‘Neglect’ has an unknown author but was published on July 30, 2003.
 Overview of Oral Presentation

This poem includes the use of Formal English which is an original piece and will be

recited in a second person point of view to highlight the negative effects of child neglect on a

child. How children all across the world suffer because of neglection in more than one way

whether it be medical, physical or emotional. Most children go through a phase like this in their

lives, but the neglect of a child is most likely influenced by alcohol, social media, drugs or

possibly the parent just doesn’t care. Child neglect has made an immense impact on the lives of

young children who are the future for us. More and more children across the world are being

neglected and this will most definitely influence their choices in the future which can be in a

negative way. This poem solely focuses on the feelings of children, how they think, their

mentality, their health and so much more.

 Oral Presentation

Every single night

I’d turn the music up
Trying to fight the voices in my head
“Do they even want me?”
“Am I just another burden?”
They scream and scream and scream
Sometimes it’s like I’m not even there
I close my eyes and pray for a whole other family
One where everything was fine
One that felt like mine
A place to call home
A place to feel safe and loved

“If there’s a God out there, please hear my prayer

I’m lost and I’m scared
And I’ve got nowhere else to run”
Terrifying words I hope no child even lays their thoughts upon
Words that can break one’s heart from the pain it holds
Wondering if their parents even love them anymore
The feeling of being shunned and thrown away in the dark
Discarded like the trash no one wants to keep
Wishing that there was someplace better than this hell they live in
Tearing them apart slowly piece by piece
Eating them up until there’s nothing left
Kicking and thrashing
Hoping that somehow the air will find its way back into their lungs
Screaming silently at the darkness that surrounds them
Panic attack after panic attack
Worrying about everything to come
Wondering if their alcoholic mother will hold them while they fall asleep
Or if their workaholic father will ever have time to spend with them
Wondering if they’ll ever make them feel loved, even for once
But somehow, they hold unto that silver of hope that someone will save them before they
drown.

Children aren’t supposed to feel this way

They’re supposed to be filled with love
Their eyes are supposed to shine with hope and dreams
They shouldn’t have this light dimmed at such an early age
And even yet, we sometimes forget
Even adolescents, teenagers even
Feel this overwhelming pain
Parents never caring or even bothering to think of their child’s wellbeing,
Their mental strength to handle this all at once
Because some who are affected by this,
They either lash out or self-isolate
Sometimes, they do the unthinkable
Then parents are left to wonder….
“What if I had been a better mother? What if I had been a better father?”
 Conclusion

It can be concluded that the effects of medical neglect are disastrous, and it is very unfortunate

for any child to be a victim of neglect. It is ultimately disappointing and hurtful from a child's

perspective to think that they are unwanted in their own family. I deeply believe that every

parent that puts their child through this sort of pain should be penalized and charged.
 Appendix

Artifact #1 Poem

Title: Parents, Neglect Not Thy Children

Parents, tend thou to thy children with care;

Children are now more precious than before;
Like diamond brooch in necklaces, they are;
The family has become nuclear to core.

These are the days of small a family norm;

Accidents kill more than diseases can;
Pampered, unloved remain children in form;
Spare not the rod and spoil not child, O man.

What is the use of all thy hard-earned wealth?

Teach them the sense of values in their life;
Important is their body’s/ mind’s/ soul’s health;
Their problems own, they must face that are rife.

Excessive love will spoil its good purpose;

Too much of shade too makes a plant’s growth worse.

Recommended reading:

 Sonnet: Death, The Thief

 Happy Retirement, Dear Sir
 The Love Of God For Man Is Born Today

Artifact #2 Video
Title: What is Medical Neglect?

https://youtu.be/LwR1c0xHR4M

Artifact #3 Article

Title: Medical Neglect of a Child

Medical neglect is defined as a parent’s failure to provide adequate medical or dental care for
their child, especially when it is needed to treat a serious physical injury or illness. In some
cases, this can also include a failure to provide for psychiatric care if the child needs it. Also,
some jurisdictions may hold other parties liable for medical neglect, such as custodians or
guardians who have a legal duty to care for the child.

Medical neglect is generally considered to be a form of child neglect, and is usually listed under
a state’s child abuse laws. Some jurisdictions require failure to involve emergency
circumstances, but some courts may find medical neglect even in long-term, non-emergency
situations.

This type of neglect usually takes one of two forms: Either caregivers do not seek medical
treatment when children show clear signs of serious illness, or they do not follow medical
advice once it has been sought.

Contents

What Types of Actions are Considered to be Medical Neglect?

Various types of conduct and actions by the parent can amount to medical neglect of a child.
Some of these may include:

 Refusing or denying the child access to medical care in an emergency;

 Refusing to support the child’s medical expenses for an acute illness, without good
reason;
 Ignoring medical recommendations by a physician with regards to a treatable condition;
and/or
 Failing to administer medicine to the child as prescribed by a doctor.
These types of conduct may be easier to prove if they result in significant deterioration of the
child’s health, or if they result in frequent or prolonged periods of hospitalization.

It must also be shown that the treatment recommended would substantially benefit the child,
that there is access to healthcare, and that the caretaker understands the situation (is mentally
competent).

When it comes to religious exemptions from medical neglect law, states vary. Many do allow
for parents to refuse both preventative care and treatment for children. Generally, the
exemption must be based on sincere religious beliefs, and the parents’ membership in a
recognized faith or religious tradition. For example, the Christian Science sect is an established
one, known for its belief in faith healing. There are, however, some states (such as Colorado)
that do not allow parents to refuse their children medical treatment based on religious beliefs.
 Reference

Video

https://youtu.be/LwR1c0xHR4M

Article

https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/medical-neglect-of-a-child.html

Poem

https://r.search.yahoo.com/

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A3Ny/RV=2/RE=1662551356/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fozofe.com%2fdr-a-

celestine-raj-manohar-m-d%2fsonnet-parents-neglect-not-thy-children%2f/RK=2/

RS=rOX48KUUl40OeeiWA5kYSlQfvlM-