Child abuse and neglect are similar in that they both describe what is done to children physically, emotionally, psychologically, and sexually to ruin their childhood, and sometimes mark them for life. A child’s home should be a haven, and yet most cases of child neglect take place right in the child’s own home. Child neglect takes place when a child’s basic needs fail to be met by their parents or guardians. Basic needs include shelter, food, clothing, and needed access to medical care. Child neglect has been studied in an attempt to try to understand it and help its victims, and these studies have shown that single-parent families have far more child neglect than families where both parents are present. Two thirds of child neglect cases involve children with parents who have substance abuse problems, such as drugs and alcohol. Children who have been neglected during their childhood run the risk of suffering from psychological problems as adults.