The Effect of Neglectful Parent towards Children during Movement Control Order (MCO) of Covid-19

Abstract

Being a parent and a worker at the same time is not an easy task. The responsibilities of both job need an understanding from a spouse and also the superior of the company to understand their workers. As parent, they need to take care of their children while as a worker, they need to complete the task given as ordered. All these make parents have to choose which will be their priority to do on that day. Unfortunately, if most of the day they decided to choose work as their priority, the outcomes is, parents did not realize they have neglect their children. Weather busy working of office work or doing house chores children are abandoned. They let the children play alone, watch television alone unattended, not responding to the questions and more. Children by themselves are force to understand their parents’ “work” while deep inside, they are emotionally abuse by their parents. Therefore this study is to find what effects parents to neglect their children. There are 158 parents were involved in this study during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period. They are at least having one child. Result found, there are not significant but, by mean score, a father is more likely to neglect their children because by perspective, a father is less likely to involve with their children compared to a mother. A father roles also is usually to fulfil the family’s necessary needs such as food, shelter, clothes and money. They rarely at home with the children. By having helpers such as maid or spouse, it can be help to ease their burden. Hence, it can prevent them to neglect their children. Lastly, this study is to find the working affairs of the family. Result shown by mean score comparison, parents who get high pay RM 8001 and above is leading to parental neglect and those who need to go to work during MCO, also lead to parental neglect.