NCJ Number
165584
Date Published
1996
Length
297 pages
Annotation
Intended for people who are lawfully or morally expected to recognize and report abused children to social services departments, this reference book provides information on how to identify various types of abuse, as well as neglect and abandonment, and discusses various issues related to addressing child abuse.
Abstract
The first chapter discusses how to identify physical abuse. This includes a review of normal child development and behavior as well as conditions that have been confused with abuse. Various types of injuries and their relationship to abuse are considered, and the reporting of suspected abuse is also discussed. A separate chapter considers abusive burn patterns. A chapter on the sexual abuse of children focuses on types of sexual abuse, their dynamics, the screening and referral process, caregiver and child interview guidelines, and the evaluation of information obtained in interviews. Other chapters focus on how art therapy can reveal child abuse, the oral injuries of child abuse, multiple personalities and dissociative disorders, and Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Separate chapters cover neglect and abandonment, psychological abuse, and the cycle of abuse. Remaining chapters address the role of the police in the investigation of child maltreatment; legal issues; abuse, schools, and the law; working with child abuse victims in the classroom; and prevention. A summary and suggested readings accompany each chapter.