Based on a combination of research and practice, this book provides a current picture of the success, fairness and significance of child protection services for children, parents and professionals. It is divided into two parts. The first half approaches the problem of child abuse through the different perspectives of those affected. First hand accounts from abused children and young people, from parents on the receiving end of investigation and from professionals evaluating parenting are critically reported. Up-to-date information on the characteristics of men and young people who sexually abused children and the origins of exploitative sexuality are discussed. The second half gives the reader direct access to recent reviews of how professionals are responding or failing to respond to child abuse and the debates which follow. The authors provide information on interdisciplinary collaboration, the changing legal context, the benefits and shortcomings of prevention and self help and ask whether child protection services discriminate against the poor.
Sexually abused children and young people speak out, Jacquie Roberts and Cathy Taylor; The impact of child protection intervention on parents and children, Elaine Farmer; The aftermath of child sexual abuse: the women's perspective, Harriet Dempster; Child sexual abusers: Challenging myths, Russell Dobash, et al; The origins of exploitative sexuality: the challenge of conducting useful research, David Glasgow; Evaluating parenting in child physical abuse, Lorraine Waterhouse and Tom Pitcairn; Working together in child protection, Christine Hallett; The Children Act 1989 and Child protection: European comparisons, Jim Christopherson; Children's hearings: A legal perspective after Orkney, Joe Thompson; Child protection services: A case of discrimination? Robin Clark; Facing the facts: self help as a response to child sexual abuse, Siobhan Lloyd; The case for and against prevention, David Gough.
By its scholarly quality, [this book] raises a host of questions remaining to be explored... The range and depth of the matters here considered set child abuse in a wide context; social, legal and professional... There is much in this book which affords us a valuable opportunity to stand back and reflect critically on where we stand.
