Tackling Child Abuse

This bracing book makes a forceful case for reinvigorating our efforts to address and prevent childhood sexual abuse. In recent years, Sarah Nelson argues, the fight against childhood sexual abuse has been complacent, or even fearful. She attacks the causes of this head-on, reassessing backlashes like that surrounding the “satanic panic” and arguing that policy makers, practitioners, and academics have a duty to move beyond such problems and address the real issue. To that end, she proposes new models for child-centered, perpetrator-focused protection, community prevention, and working with survivor-offenders. Sure to be controversial,Preventing Child Sexual Abuse will challenge—and galvanize—the field.

In this outspoken and challenging book, Sarah Nelson argues that progress in addressing childhood sexual abuse has been in fearful or complacent retreat and that change is urgently needed in order to prevent abuse occurring, and to better support survivors. From this starting point, she puts forward radical suggestions for new models of practice. These are designed to provide perpetrator-focussed child protection, to encourage community approaches to prevention, and to better support those who have survived abuse. As revelations of widespread child abuse continue to emerge at an unprecedented rate, this book campaigns for change, offering policy makers and practitioners solutions for new ways in tackling sexual abuse, working alongside survivors to reduce its prevalence and impact.

This simply told, beautifully illustrated story from the authors of Rid of My Disgrace and Is It My Fault? helps two- to eight-year-olds understand why their bodies matter and distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate touch. God Made All of Me gently opens a conversation that every family needs to have.

This bracing book makes a forceful case for reinvigorating our efforts to address and prevent childhood sexual abuse. In recent years, Sarah Nelson argues, the fight against childhood sexual abuse has been complacent, or even fearful. She attacks the causes of this head-on, reassessing backlashes like that surrounding the “satanic panic” and arguing that policy makers, practitioners, and academics have a duty to move beyond such problems and address the real issue. To that end, she proposes new models for child-centered, perpetrator-focused protection, community prevention, and working with survivor-offenders. Sure to be controversial,Preventing Child Sexual Abuse will challenge—and galvanize—the field.

With contributions from internationally recognized experts, this edited volume presents original thinking on the theory, research and practice surrounding child neglect. Comprehensive and current, the book takes an expansive look at how we can better address this prevalent issue. It explores the effects of neglect on the developing child and makes recommendations on how to identify neglect at the earliest opportunity. It considers common causal and contributing factors in neglect cases and the impact of these on children. The book details effective intervention techniques alongside case vignettes and shows how change can be achieved. It highlights the importance of supporting parental care and developing parental responsibility in families where children are neglected. Chapters provide in-depth descriptive examples and include a summary of learning points. Including practical suggestions for combating child neglect, this is an essential guide to best practice for students and practitioners working with children and families. The book also contains useful insights relevant to researchers and policy makers.

This book sets out an integrated systems model which utilizes a public health approach and 'whole of society' philosophy for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse. It guides those engaged in policy, practice and planning concerning gender based violence and child abuse towards a more systemic approach to tackling these problems.