This book deals with the neglect practised by poor families against children between the ages of zero and two. The aim was not to discuss neglect as a synonym for poverty or as the sole cause of poverty, but to understand it from the subjective perspective of the relationships between parents and children.

The choice to focus on families with young children is due to two factors: firstly, the greater occurrence of this type of violence against children in this age group and, secondly, the importance of affective bonds between parents and children at this stage of development, an aspect emphasised by Donald W. Winnicott.

Domestic neglect is the most common type of family violence in Brazil. The concept of neglect has been used to describe various situations involving children in situations of rights violation and also as a synonym for poverty.

Priority was given to a case study of families whose children had been sheltered due to neglect. One point in common between the families is that they do not recognise their own practices of neglecting their children.

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