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Up to three in 10 children are neglected by their parents, concludes a surprising new Quebec study that raises questions about exactly what defines the “insidious” problem.

The standardized survey used by the researchers suggests parents who sometimes leave children alone in their car are, in fact, neglectful, but even the authors question whether that makes sense.

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The study, based on a survey of 4,400 Quebec parents on aspects of child-rearing, concluded 20 to 29 per cent of children were neglected, depending on the age group.

Neglect or not? Try the survey for yourself:

It was the relatively large number of people who said they “sometimes” left children as young as six months without supervision in a vehicle — and similar numbers leaving kids aged 10 to 15 at home alone — that drove up the prevalence rate.

One child-welfare official says such behaviour is more significant than it might seem, as isolated cases can have dire consequences.