Abstract
The negative effects of child neglect on the development of children are serious and have far-reaching negative consequences for children, especially in Brazil, with great social inequality. The research investigated the consequences of neglect for children in their early years of schooling. The academic performance was evaluated in three groups: children with formal notification of neglect, children with suspected unreported neglect and children who did not suffer any form of abuse. Information was collected from different sources: parents/caregivers, teachers and the children themselves. The groups comprised children in their early school years, aged between six and eight. The results showed that neglected children had borderline or clinical levels of school skills and below-average school performance. The reference group had, for the most part, normal scores and average or above-average school performance. Considering that school is a protective factor, children with learning difficulties and neglected children need support that favours child development.