I hear this a lot. One thing that I see that is different, however, is that neglect is an act of ommission rather than abuse which is an act of commission. I see this is different because to abuse someone is a step further than failing to act and therefore being neglectful. This made a difference for me because abuse makes you more fearful. My parents never said mean words to me or were angry at me and they never hit me. This makes a big difference. It helps you to see the world as less of a scary place I think. (I wasn't physically neglected just emotionally too)