Imprisonment

• Some states have an automatic imprisonment penalty for child endangerment. States such as California will imprison offenders for up to six years, while states such as Texas will imprison an offender for up to 20 years. The term of imprisonment depends on the severity of the offense and other factors that may have influenced that offense. States such as Alaska require that the child suffer severe injuries or death for the endangerment to qualify as a felony.
  
  

Criminal Charges and Probation

• Some states consider child endangerment a misdemeanor, which can lead to probation or counseling rather than actual jail time. States such as Alabama consider minor child endangerment offenses as Class A misdemeanors. Montana, on the other hand, has different tiers of child endangerment offenses, which can include jail time or fees for probation instead. Each state varies on the punishment for child endangerment cases, but the severity of that offense also determines imprisonment, criminal charges and fines.
  
  

Loss of Custody

• A child that a parent or guardian abuses or puts in a life-threatening situation is considered endangered. The consequences of that action often result in the parent losing custody permanently or temporarily. Ultimately, the severity of the child endangerment offense will determine whether or not a parent or guardian retains custodial rights. In Nevada, for example, if a child suffers severe medical injuries as a direct result of a parent's negligence, then the parent will lose custodial rights.
  
  

Emotional Damage

• Child endangerment, especially when paired with abuse, can leave physical and emotional scars that follow a child to adulthood. Many children who go through severe child endangerment situations suffer from lack of trust or relationship issues. Since children cannot trust their own parents, they often find it difficult to trust authority figures, even those trying to help them. Children who suffer from severe child endangerment situations may also exhibit signs of erratic emotional behavior or feelings of worthlessness.