When I was a little girl I believed what I was told over and over again: that I was evil, that I deserved to be tortured because I was the Devil's child . . .' In April 2007 foster-mother Eunice Spry was sentenced to fourteen years in prison for her sadistic abuse of the children in her care. The details of her cruelty were so sickening they shocked the country. Alloma Gilbert was one of Spry's young victims, sent to live with her at the age of six and left at her mercy for eleven brutal years. Eunice used her own twisted religious beliefs as an excuse for punishing her foster children. When she took them to live on an isolated farmhouse, the abuse escalated to terrifying levels - a stick was thrust down Alloma's throat so often it was stained red with blood, she was starved for over a year and survived only by secretly eating pigswill, and the vicious beatings were relentless. At the age of seventeen she finally escaped but, alone in the outside world, she fell prey to abusive men. It was the birth of her baby daughter that saved her, that finally taught her what love really is. Written with powerful honesty, Deliver Me From Evil is a moving and inspiring story of survival.

Unchained is a soul-awakening account of life after childhood trauma, of one woman choosing to let go of who she thought she was so she could become who she was meant to be. Tonya Whittle's story reflects what happens to so many women when they pretend trauma didn't happen: who they become, what they do, and how they create a vision of themselves for protection. But what happens when the life someone is running from collides with the life they've created? Unchained shares Tonya's own journey through the collapse of a life falsely created, exposing her wounds and forcing the truth. Tonya encourages other women to take off their own masks, face their truths, and do the inner work necessary to live life fully, ultimately leading to healing and rebuilding. Unchained takes women on a journey to the soul, from head to heart, from fear to faith, from girls gone wild to wild soul women. For anyone who feels disconnected from life, who is just getting by, simply existing, Tonya reaches out to encourage them to let go of the things that have happened to them and thrive despite those traumas. In the face of #metoo and #timesup, her story serves as an instruction manual for how ancient wisdom, and the process of facing the past, lead to an amazing future-no matter what happened.

This book provides the first full-length, English-language investigation of the multiple and often contradictory ways in which mothers who kill their children were portrayed in 1970s Japan. It offers a snapshot of a historical and social moment when motherhood was being renegotiated, and maternal violence was disrupting norms of acceptable maternal behaviour. Drawing on a wide range of original archival materials, it explores three discursive sites where the image of the murderous mother assumed a distinctive visibility: media coverage of cases of maternal filicide; the rhetoric of a newly emerging women's liberation movement known as uman ribu; and fictional works by the Japanese writer Takahashi Takako. Using translation as a theoretical tool to decentre the West as the origin of (feminist) theorizations of the maternal, it enables a transnational dialogue for imagining mothers' potential for violence. This thought-provoking work will appeal to scholars of feminist theory, cultural studies and Japanese studies.

For many vulnerable children, the idea of talking to an adult about their experiences and feelings can be a daunting prospect. This book demonstrates how the introduction of playfulness when working with neglected or abused children helps to build a trusting relationship by openly engaging with the child's world. The practical activities and resources provided have been developed over 20 years of working with vulnerable children and are proven to help reduce feelings of stress and open up the lines of communication between adult and child. The straightforward, accessible style makes them easy to follow and ideal for reference in everyday practice. With plenty of tried and tested advice, this book is essential reading for all those working with vulnerable children, including social workers, child protection workers, therapists, teachers and police interviewers, who are looking for effective ways to engage with them.

A BOY WITHOUT HOPE is the heart-breaking story of a boy who didn't know the meaning of love. A history of abuse and neglect has left Miller destined for life's scrap heap. But in this turbulent story of conflict and struggle, Casey Watson is determined to help Miller overcome his demons, show him love and give him hope. Casey Watson is back, doing the job she does best - rolling up her sleeves and fostering the children who, on first meeting, seem like hopeless cases. But when she meets Miller and discovers the truth about his disturbing childhood, even Casey begins to doubt if this child will ever be able to accept love. Found naked and alone on a railway track, Miller was just five when he was first admitted into the care system. Emotionally tormented by his biological parents, Miller has never understood how to establish meaningful relationships, and his destructive past, and over 20 failed placements, is sealing his fate in society's social scrap heap. After a torrent of violent behaviour and numerous failed attempts to help Miller, Casey decides to make an intervention, implementing a severe regime that strips Miller of all control. But soon the emotional demands of Miller's case start to take their toll on Casey and Mike. Just how far is Casey willing to go to help Miller and save him from his inner demons?

The number of children entering the child protection system has risen dramatically in the last three years with implications for children's services and partner agencies. This timely volume takes a critical look at the impact of the Munro Review (2011) on child protection and the Government's response. It looks at questions including how effective Local Safeguarding Children Boards are in providing the necessary scrutiny to ensure children are safe, how the early offer of help at local level might reduce the numbers of children at the critical end of the spectrum and whether reducing regulation from the centre will result in better outcomes for the most vulnerable? Moreover, it also considers those young people who traditionally bypass child protection services but remain at risk of harm. These are critical questions for both policy and practice in understanding the reforms Munro states are required. Contributions from leading experts working in the child protection system review current safeguarding policy and explore the future after Munro.

A young Chinese girl forced to work in a New York sweatshop calls child services on her mother in this powerful memoir about labour and self-worth, economic revolution and cultural dislocation. As a teen, Anna Qu is sent by her mother to work in her family's garment factory in Queens. At home, she is treated as a maid and suffers punishment for doing her homework at night. Her mother wants to teach her a lesson: she is Chinese, not American, and such is their tough path in their new country. But instead of acquiescing, Qu alerts the Office of Children and Family Services, an act with consequences that impact the rest of her life. Nearly twenty years later, estranged from her mother and working at a Manhattan start-up, Qu requests her social services report. When it arrives, key details are wrong. Faced with this false narrative, and on the brink of losing her job as the once-shiny start-up collapses, Qu looks once more at her life's truths, from abandonment to an abusive family to seeking meaning in work. Travelling from Wenzhou to Xi'an to New York, Made in China is a fierce memoir unafraid to ask thorny questions about trauma and survival, capitalism, and the struggle for individual dignity.

The first in a series of books from foster carer Casey Watson.

We re hungry, his brother cried. We re hungry, Justin. Please find us some food.

Justin was five years old; his brothers two and three. Their mother, a heroin addict, had left them alone again. Later that day, after trying to burn down the family home, Justin was taken into care.

Justin was taken into care at the age of five after deliberately burning down his family home. Six years on, after 20 failed placements, Justin arrives at Casey s home. Casey and her husband Mike are specialist foster carers. They practice a new style of foster care that focuses on modifying the behaviour of profoundly damaged children. They are Justin s last hope, and it quickly becomes clear that they are facing a big challenge.

Try as they might to make him welcome, he seems determined to strip his life of all the comforts they bring him, violently lashing out at schoolmates and family and throwing any affection they offer him back in their faces. After a childhood filled with hurt and rejection, Justin simply doesn t want to know. But, as it soon emerges, this is only the tip of a chilling iceberg.

A visit to Justin s mother on Boxing Day reveals that there are some very dark underlying problems that Justin has never spoken about. As the full picture becomes clearer, and the horrific truth of Justin s early life is revealed, Casey and her family finally start to understand the pain he has suffered "

Four years after the publication of the influential Munro Report (2011) this important publication draws together a range of experts working in the field of child protection to critically examine what impact the reforms have had on multi-agency child protection systems in this country, at both local and national level. With a particular emphasis on early intervention, vulnerable adolescents and effective multi-agency responses to young people at risk, specialists from policy and practice alongside academics in different areas of children's services consider progress in improving child protection arrangements, in transforming services and the challenges that remain. Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs), the statutory bodies responsible for local scrutiny of child protection arrangements, are now subject to Ofsted inspection and this publication considers the role of LSCBs, how services should respond to the most vulnerable children and what 'good' services look like.

Understanding Child Abuse is the first book to look at women whose partners are child sex offenders. Much of the book is devoted to the voices of the women themselves, telling their stories and how they feel about the situations in which they found themselves, how they coped, and how they remade their lives and those of their families. They describe what they learned from their experience and how it changed them. Such experience is largely overlooked by researchers, agencies and policy makers and this book throws unique light on this neglected area. The chapters cover: What we know about child sexual abuse, offenders and the effect of sexual abuse on children. A detailed description of the work which allows the women to explore and compare their experiences and feelings about what has happened. Verbatim interviews with both partners and offenders. Combining theory, practice and personal testimony in a concise and accessible manner, Understanding Child Abuse is essential reading for social work practitioners and students as well as probation officers and anyone involved with child protection. It will also be of interest to members of the public.

This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."

Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.

A multi-professional approach to safeguarding children, which accompanies the Department of Health's new training courses. * Focuses on the methods of identifying children at risk and details what happens at each stage of the social work process* Presents a fully multi-disciplinary approach as to how professional groups and services should co-operate to safeguard children* Part of the prestigious NSPCC Wiley Series in Safeguarding Children* Accompanies the training courses run by the DoH and NSPCC for professionals working with children

Early prevention of child maltreatment is most commonly delivered through home visitation services, with the goal of promoting a positive start in parenting to avert potential child abuse and neglect, Stopping Child Maltreatment Before It Starts introduces best practice principles for early home visiting, examining the contexts from which these strategies arise.

Beginning with a discussion of the nature and etiology of physical child abuse and neglect, Guterman then examines the mechanisms by which child protective and early home visitation services have traditionally operated. The book explores best practice principles by providing a detailed "inside tour" of those practices that have been empirically linked with positive outcomes in serviced families. Guterman also discusses in detail ways how home visitation may more adequately address the problem of family substance abuse in reducing child maltreatment risk, and ways visitation can attend to social network and community influences and increase parent empowerment.

An essential text for child welfare courses, Stopping Child Maltreatment Before It Starts will also appeal to practitioners and policy makers in the child abuse and neglect field.

The author has achieved worldwide recognition for her work on the causes and effects of childhood traumas - particularly with her book "The Drama of Being a Child". Now she has returned to this book and radically rewritten much of it in the light of her move beyond the framework of psychoanalysis. She believes that violence and cruelty in society have their roots in conventional child rearing and in education which can create a prison out of childhood. In this edition she describes how we can use her discoveries to help free ourselves. She explains, with many examples, how it is possible to recover lost feelings and repressed history, resulting in a healthy beginning - for us and for our children.

During the 1980s discourse concerning child sexual abuse became central to the US/UK media, and in the 1990,s popular culture frequently took child sexual abuse as a subject for representation. Numerous claims of child sexual abuse were made between 1984 and 1994, not all of which were real. Everyday news throughout the 1990s highlighted concerns concerning abduction by paedophiles and children being at risk from predatory paedophiles using the Internet. While the media continually made child sexual abuse a central concern of public debate, popular culture, particularly films, explored this issue in fiction and docudrama. Many of these films reproduced some of the central myths concerning child sexual abuse and paedophilia. Men abusing children, women abusing children, children abusing other children, became staple fodder in mainstream feature films. In 2005 'the most famous person in the world' was again on trial for what is popularly considered to be the most heinous of crimes. Pervasive Perversions analyses a range of media and popular culture texts concerned with child sexual abuse. With sections on new media, fiction film, and celebrity culture, key questions are examined. Why did mass hysteria break out in the 1980s over sexual abuse and continue throughout the final decades of the twentieth century? What was the significance of this phenomenon? How have the constructions and representation of child sexual abuse in the media and popular culture altered? What do these images and narratives convey concerning the understanding of child sexual abuse in the public consciousness? How does this relate to the reality? What is the relationship between celebrity culture and child sexual abuse? The author examines these questions through an extensive evaluation of all forms of media and popular culture and comprehensively unearths and demystifies the key myths of child sexual abuse in contemporary media and popular culture.

'The Latchkey Kid' is a moving and powerful memoir of early childhood and adolescent struggles, with an unusual twist. Growing up on a Manchester council estate was tough in the 1970s. And when your mother is a cold woman with little time or care for you, beats you regularly and forgets to feed you, it's little wonder you find yourself on the wrong path in life. But unlike other stories of unfortunate circumstances, this frank and at times heart-breaking account also depicts the author's journey of living with a relatively unknown mental health condition called 'anhedonia'.

Athlete welfare should be of central importance in all sport. This comprehensive volume features cutting-edge research from around the world on issues that can compromise the welfare of athletes at all levels of sport and on the approaches taken by sports organisations to prevent and manage these. In recent years, sports organisations have increased their efforts to ensure athlete health, safety, and well-being, often prompted by high-profile disclosures of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse; bullying; discrimination; disordered eating; addiction; and mental health issues. In this book, contributors lift the lid on these and other issues that jeopardise the physical, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual welfare of athletes of all ages to raise awareness of the broad range of challenges athletes face. Chapters also highlight approaches to athlete welfare and initiatives taken by national and international sport organisations to provide a safer, more ethical sports environment. As the first book to focus exclusively on athlete welfare, this is an essential read for students and researchers in sports studies, coaching, psychology, performance, development and management, and physical education. It is also a useful reference point for anyone working in welfare, safeguarding, child protection, and equity and inclusion in and beyond sport.

Why are some children abused or neglected? What can be done to protect and help them? A key element of informed decision making is knowing what sort of problems are amenable to what sort of intervention, in what circumstances, and with what degree of certainty. Effective Interventions for Child Abuse and Neglect provides a thorough and detailed review of the available research, and makes suggestions as to how this evidence can be incorporated into professional child protection work.
Geraldine Macdonald first considers the range of evaluative tools available, with illustrations from existing research studies and reviews, and appraises their respective merits and limitations. She then describes the interplay of a range of causal factors in abuse and neglect, and considers different types of maltreatment and their potential consequences. Evidence for effective preventative and therapeutic measures are considered next, followed by a final section on accurate assessment and the use of formal tools in risk management.

The fourth edition of the landmark reference Child Maltreatment?now titled Chadwick's Child Maltreatment?offers a comprehensive view of the signs and aftermath of physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and psychological maltreatment. Formerly presented as a 2-volume clinical guide and photographic atlas, this cutting-edge series has been divided into 3 definitive volumes: Physical Abuse and Neglect, Sexual Abuse and Psychological Maltreatment, and Cultures at Risk and Role of Professionals. Each book is supplemented by an atlas of clinically valuable case studies and images to assist in the identification, interpretation, and investigation of child maltreatment. Chadwick's Child Maltreatment has been edited by some of the most prominent experts in the field, including child abuse specialist and pioneer Dr. David Chadwick. This newly revised series is specifically designed for professionals who are in positions to identify and respond to the plight of child maltreatment and its many adverse effects on children and families. Dr. Chadwick and his collaborators have expended great effort to present relevant, updated clinical text in the fourth edition, which includes 1950 pages and 1976 images. Key benefits and features of Chadwick's Child Maltreatment include: New! Over 350 new photographs to help practicing professionals identify various incidents of child maltreatment. New! Seven new chapters including: Volume 2, Chapter 5, Sexual Behaviors in Children; Volume 2, Chapter 6, Therapy Approaches in Sexually Abused Children; Volume 2, Chapter 7, Positive and Negative Findings and What They Mean; Volume 2, Chapter 9, Understanding Resilience; Volume 2, Chapter 10, Lifelong and Life-Limiting Effects of Child Maltreatment; Volume 3, Chapter 10, Prosecution of Child Maltreatment; and Volume 3, Chapter 23, Public Health. Volume 3, Chapter 2, Risk of the Internet, has been completely revised to reflect the fast-paced growth of the role of technology in our society. Combined clinical guide and photographic atlas in each book for easier access to information. Multidisciplinary focus to support collaboration among health care, law enforcement, social work, child protection, and court-related professionals. Volume Two: Sexual Abuse and Psychological Maltreatment Volume Two in the fourth edition of Chadwick's Child Maltreatment series provides a comprehensive review of the signs and effects of sexual abuse and psychological maltreatment toward children. The clinical text includes new and revised content on topics that are critical to the effective assessment and treatment of sexually and psychologically abused victims. More than 30 medical experts collaborated to provide the latest clinical data and research on topics including interviewing children, sexually transmitted infections, psychological assessment and treatment approaches, and developmental aspects of the young, among others. The clinical portion of the text is accompanied by a photographic atlas in the back of the book, which contains current cases studies and more than 300 images and illustrations that document instances of sexual abuse, equipment used by professionals for the documentation of cases, and concepts of psychological maltreatment and developmental health issues. Peer-reviewed by experts in the field, Sexual Abuse and Psychological Maltreatment is a comprehensive resource to support health care, law enforcement, social work, child protection, and court-related professionals in their ongoing efforts to identify and prevent sexual abuse and psychological maltreatment of innocent victims. Key Features and Benefits: New! Over 100 new photographs to help practicing professionals identify and treat various incidents of sexual abuse and psychological maltreatment. New! Five new chapters including: Chapter 5, Sexual Behaviors in Children; Chapter 6, Therapy Approaches in Sexually Abused Children; Chapter 7, Positive and Negative Findings and What They Mean; Chapter 9, Understanding Resilience; and Chapter 10, Lifelong and Life-Limiting Effects of Child Maltreatment. New! Combined clinical guide and photographic atlas for more convenience and easier access to information. Multidisciplinary focus to support collaboration among health care, law enforcement, social work, child protection, and court-related professionals.

'A masterclass in understanding' ANNIE GRACE, author of This Naked Mind Ten questions to ask yourself, right now: * Do you have a sense that something is wrong, but you don't know what it is? * Do you have a feeling that you are hollow inside, that you are empty or have a void within? * Do you react badly to rejection? * Do you often feel sad, unhappy or down for no obvious reason? * Would you describe yourself as highly sensitive? * Do you have problems with relationships and intimacy? * Do you engage in addictive behaviour - alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping, food, sex, work, exercise? * Do you have low self-esteem or self-worth - are you not 'good enough'? * Do you have a sense of being numb to your feelings? * Do you rarely experience true joy and happiness? If you have answered 'yes' to most of these questions, there is a strong chance you have experienced emotional neglect or trauma as a child. An emotionally neglected child may struggle to form strong and secure attachments as an adult. They may feel hollow or empty, worthless (or overly important), judge themselves harshly and struggle with addictive tendencies - drinking, eating or exercising too much, for example. If this describes you, Heal Your Inner Child will change your life and give you back the love, compassion and authenticity you needed as a child, and deserve as an adult. Fomer heavy drinker turned sobriety coach Simon Chapple is - like you - a survivor of childhood trauma. His unique brand of straight-talking, practical yet reflective and relatable advice has helped thousands of people quit drinking, and he can help you now to move on from childhood emotional neglect to a place of happiness free from past trauma. How to Heal Your Inner Child is a stepped and safe approach to confronting your past, with space for reflective and supportive strategies that will help you to foster self-compassion and break free from the destructive behaviours that have blighted your life. Clinically endorsed and verified by a psychotherapist, this deeply personal, unflinchingly honest exploration is designed to unlock your own epiphany and support you as you journey to a happier, less troubled and more authentic self.

How can professionals build constructive relationships with families where the parents dispute professional allegations of serious child abuse? How can meaningful safety for children be created in these families? How can professionals work together constructively in such cases? Situations where parents refute child abuse allegations made against them are often deemed to be impossible or untreatable by statutory and treatment professionals. These cases can consume enormous amounts of professional time and energy and frequently become bogged down by ongoing professional-family mistrust and dispute. Often, the decision to close such cases comes about not because the children are safe, but rather because the professionalsrun out of ideas, time and energy.

"Working with 'Denied' Child Abuse" presents an innovative, safety-focused, partnership-based, model called Resolutions, which provides an alternative approach for responding rigourously and creatively to such cases. It describes each stage of this practical model and demonstrates the approach through many case examples from therapists, statutory social workers and other professionals working in Europe, North America and Australasia. The book is key reading for legal, health and social care professionals working in the area of child protection.

Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2019, a powerful, well-researched, fictional account exploring the trokosi tradition for the curious and the open-minded. Abeo Kata lives a comfortable, happy life in West Africa as the privileged nine-year-old daughter of a government employee and stay-at-home mother. But when the Katas' idyllic lifestyle takes a turn for the worse, Abeo's father, following his mother's advice, places the girl in a religious shrine, hoping that the sacrifice of his daughter will serve as atonement for the crimes of his ancestors. Unspeakable acts befall Abeo for the fifteen years she is enslaved within the shrine. When she is finally rescued, broken and battered, she must struggle to overcome her past, endure the revelation of family secrets, and learn to trust and love again. In the tradition of Chris Cleave's Little Bee, Praise Song for the Butterflies is a contemporary story that offers an educational, eye-opening account of the practice of ritual servitude in West Africa. Spanning decades and two continents, Praise Song for the Butterflies is an unflinching tale of the devastation that children are subject to when adults are ruled by fear and someone must pay the consequences. "Abeo is unrelenting - a fiery protagonist who sparks in every scene. Bernice L. McFadden has created yet another compelling story, this time about hope and freedom." Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of Here Comes the Sun

This important and wide-ranging book explores the world of a child or young person who has been abused or neglected. It seeks to understand their world, to ease the pain from which they suffer, and to heal the wounds that the abuse has left. Examining how abuse always takes place in the context of relationships, and involves a misuse of power that causes a traumatic overwhelming of the child or adolescent, abuse also evokes strong countertransference. This affects interventions, particularly when clinicians struggle with feelings of which they may feel ashamed. A difficulty in coming to terms with and addressing child abuse relates to unconscious factors which, by freezing the emotional area surrounding the abuse (or by blinding the area of personality), makes some thoughts unthinkable. Considering traditional and novel ways of helping children who feel they have been maltreated, the book offers suggestions for individual treatment as well as describing the successful work carried out with child refugees. It also offers a glimpse into what child psychoanalysts interpret and do with children who feel a parent hates them.

Although most families do not repeat the patterns of abuse of their childhood, there is evidence that, for whatever reason, substantial numbers do. This book explores continuing intergenerational cycles of child maltreatment and the controversies that surround the theories, focusing mainly on physical abuse, neglect, and emotional abuse, rather than sexual abuse. Examining the facts and the fallacies permeating the international literature, the author suggests that in intergenerational child maltreatment, there may not be just one cycle, but four separate cycles: sociopolitical factors; recurring cultural patterns; psychological factors; and biological factors. Interventions need to be focused on each cycle independently to attempt to break the cycle of child maltreatment. Ann Buchanan draws on her wide range of both academic and research experience in this field, as well as on her clinical experience, to bring together both the theories and research in the mechanisms of transmission, and the practical aspects of interventions. The book is easily accessible with clear summaries and will prove an excellent introduction to all those working with children and families.

In her first book, Never a Hero to Me, Tracy Black told the horrific story of how her father, a respected Army man, was in fact a heartless paedophile who convinced Tracy that her mother's health was completely dependent on her willingness to be abused. In her new book, Tracy continues her shocking story by telling how her mother closed her eyes to the cruelty, treating her little girl with cold indifference. Heartbreakingly Tracy traded her innocence for the love of her mother - love which was never given, no matter how much she suffered. As Tracy approached adulthood, she risked being trapped in damaging sexual relationships. But after years of struggle she found the courage to break out of her past and turn her life around.