IN RE: EDWARD C.L. (2002)

Order of disposition, Family Court, New York County (Susan Larabee, J.), entered on or about April 25, 2000, which released the subject child to respondent mother upon a finding of neglect by respondent father, unanimously affirmed, without costs.

The finding of neglect is supported by a preponderance of the evidence showing that respondent father exposed the child to a pervasive environment of verbal abuse directed at respondent mother that sometimes escalated to include unwelcome physical contact, and that the child's health was in imminent danger of becoming impaired as a result.   The finding of imminent impairment could be made in this case without expert evidence (see, Matter of Lonell J., 242 A.D.2d 58, 673 N.Y.S.2d 116;  Matter of Deandre T., 253 A.D.2d 497, 676 N.Y.S.2d 666).