This book seeks to educate principals, counselors, teachers, coaches, support staff, and students about sexual misconduct, while providing a training model to prepare school staff to avoid sexual misconduct, to encourage school leaders to upgrade their supervision efforts, and to provide needed outreach and intervention before sexual misconduct occurs. To help eliminate sexual misconduct in schools, this book provides step-by-step training procedures that can be used as part of the schools' staff development program to teach educators about the importance of setting boundaries. Real-life case studies documenting inappropriate teacher-student relationships are included. The major focus of this second edition is to alert educators to the effects of unrelenting school reform efforts, which have become a distraction at best and a barrier at worst to dealing with problems such as sexual misconduct. This book provides a roadmap of what needs to be done to restore each educator's mission to being committed to their students' well-being before it is too late.

This book provides a unique perspective on addressing issues of various forms of violence against children from scholars within their own country. Bringing together cross-disciplinary expertise, this volume addresses a vast range of topics related to child abuse and neglect in Uganda. Exploring areas from the protection of street children to cultural proverbs related to child maltreatment, this volume examines issues both specific to the Ugandan contexts as well as broadly experienced in child maltreatment work in non-Euro-American countries. This book surveys the breadth of the child protection field, covering issues of children's universal rights, challenges of protection and ethical quandaries in researching and addressing maltreatment.

Child sexual abuse by clergy within the Roman Catholic Church has emerged as a social and political discourse over the last three decades. The analysis here specifically focuses on the establishment, conduct, and outcomes of the extensive public inquiries of Australia, although inquiries in other jurisdictions are also discussed. Unlike criminal or civil processes, although they may be inquisitory in nature, public inquiries emerge from a specifically political context and are a tool of governance embedded in a larger context of governmentality. Understanding the broader political and cultural contexts of public inquiries is important, then, in understanding their value and effectiveness as justice processes - especially for victims of CSA by clergy. What is interesting about public inquiry is that it situates victims of CSA by clergy outside of criminal and civil justice processes and recognises a different politicised relationship between victims as citizens, the state, and Catholic institutions where abuse has occurred. At the cutting edge of disciplinary and methodological understandings of the interconnections between the church, state and families, his book explores the dynamics of the emergence and politicisation of victims of CSA by clergy, their expressions of resistance and the legitimisation of their voice in public and political spheres.

In this examination of the ubiquitous practice of bullying among youth, compelling first person stories vividly convey the lived experience of peer torment and how it impacted the lives of five diverse young women. Author Keith Berry's own autoethnographic narratives and analysis add important relational communication, methodological, and ethical dimensions to their accounts. The personal stories create an opening to understand how this form of physical and verbal violence shapes identities, relationships, communication, and the construction of meaning among a variety of youth. The layered narrative describes the practices constituting bullying and how youth work to cope with peer torment and its aftermath, largely focusing on identity construction and well being; addresses contemporary cyberbullying as well as other forms of relational aggression in many social contexts across race, gender, and sexual orientations; is written in a compelling way to be accessible to students in communication, education, psychology, social welfare, and other fields.

This updated and expanded edition provides comprehensive coverage of the theory and practice of counselling survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA). In a reasoned and thoughtful approach, common stereotypes of abusers and their victims are replaced with current knowledge on the incidence of CSA and its long-term impacts on adult survivors.
Christiane Sanderson explores the therapeutic relationship from building trust and meeting the client's needs to establishing boundaries, addressing transference issues and avoiding secondary traumatic stress. She evaluates various treatment approaches and techniques, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of group therapy. Stand-alone chapters provide in-depth coverage of:
- CSA's impact on survivors' sense of self and their relationships with others
- self-harming behaviour, including self-injury, substance abuse and eating disorders
- how memory is constructed and reconstructed, including the controversial issues surrounding recovered memories
- useful approaches to coping with fear and loss from working with other types of trauma
- normal sexual development and typical sexual difficulties for survivors
- working with shame and dissociation.
Counselling Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse honestly addresses the complex issues in this important area of work. It provides practical strategies for those new to counselling in this field and valuable new insights for experienced counsellors.

From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a harrowing and moving memoir about two innocent and frightened unfosterable children who do not know what it means to be loved.

This is the third book in the series.

The shock that strikes Casey and her family when Ashton and Olivia arrive is immeasurable. Two dirty, frightened little waifs stand before them, huge eyes staring around their new surroundings. Ashton 9, Olivia 6, have the same urchin look; hair running wild with head lice, filthy nails and skin covered in scabs. And the smell is horrific. The eldest two children of a group of five siblings, Casey had only been told they were coming two days earlier. But it was an emergency, temporary placement, and they were only due to stay a couple of weeks

Casey is desperate to help these poor, lost children, who have been taken away from their family because they were considered at risk, but before she can even start to understand the horrific things that have happened in the past, she has to teach them the most basic of behaviours. Ashton and Olivia have no barriers and no sense of what s right and wrong her challenges begin with the toilet and eating habits.

The weeks roll into months and the months roll on, but bit by bit the children are starting to feel like they truly belong to a family, for the first time. With this new found security and love, gradually they start to reveal what really happened to them and their siblings at home, and slowly Casey can help them start to rebuild their young lives."

Kaspar Hauser was a young man who appeared on the streets of Nuremberg in Germany in the early nineteenth century. His innocence and mysterious background captured the hearts of many at the time. 2012 marks the 200th anniversary of Kaspar Hauser's birth. This timely book draws together Karl Koenig's thoughts on the enigma of Kaspar Hauser, as well as exploring Koenig's deep connection to the young man. The book includes Koenig's essay 'The Story of Kaspar Hauser', as well as essays from Peter Selg on 'Koenig, Wegman and Kaspar Hauser' and Richard Steel on how Koenig spoke of Kaspar Hauser in his diaries, notes and letters.

The second book from Sunday Times bestselling author Casey Watson.

Two weeks after saying farewell to her first foster child, Casey is asked to look after Sophia, a troubled 12-year-old with a sad past. Sophia s actions are disturbing and provocative and, before long, Casey and her family find themselves in a dark and dangerous situation.

Two years ago Sophia s mother had a terrible accident. Sophia has been in care ever since.

Right away, Casey feels something isn t right. Sophia s a well-developed girl, who looks more like 18 than 12. She only seems to have eyes and ears for men, and treats all women with contempt and disgust. And she has everyone around her jumping through hoops.

Over time, as more details begin to emerge about Sophia s past, it becomes clear that her behaviour is a front for an early life filled with pain and suffering. But although Casey feels she is gradually breaking through to Sophia and getting her to open up about things she has never spoken about before, her violence is threatening the safety of the whole family, forcing Casey to question whether she can really handle this lost and damaged girl.

Both shocking and inspiring, this true story will shed new light on the extreme and sometimes dangerous nature of foster care."

The doctor, dentist or related professional who treats children has a moral and legal obligation to diagnose correctly suspected maltreatment and to report it to the proper authorities. These obligations may bring the doctor into contact with the child protection system as well as the courts. The practitioner needs to be prepared for court testimony, and a foundation of knowledge about child maltreatment is essential. This book provides unparalleled images to assist the physician and dentist in recognizing, diagnosing, and reporting child abuse and neglect. Written by and for professionals in disciplines ranging from general and child abuse pediatrics, to surgery, emergency medicine, pathology, dentistry, nursing and social work, the book reflects current, and increasing, knowledge in this field. The authors stress throughout the importance of including a broad and representative range of possibilities in their differential diagnoses so that a non-inflicted condition is not labeled child abuse, and an inflicted injury cannot be mistaken for a more innocent condition.

A child's disclosure of sexual abuse can wreak havoc in many lives, especially that of the child's mother. Julia Krane offers a first-hand look into everyday protection practices of child welfare from the perspective of mothers of sexually abused children and their female social workers, charting women's complex, contradictory, and often costly relations with the child welfare arm of the Canadian state. Drawing on interviews with social workers and mothers of sexually abused children, examinations of client files and court documents, and reviews of training and procedural manuals, Krane argues that child welfare procedures designed to protect children and help parents instead end up scrutinizing mothers for their inadequacies, transforming them into a protective labour force expected to safeguard their children. Protection practices, she contends, essentially reproduce legacies of mother blame and responsibility for the child's sexual abuse, relieving the abuser and the state of all liability. In conclusion, Krane uses her analysis to identify areas with potential for change, such as creating practice environments that render explicit the gendered nature of protection, offering support to women in their protective efforts, and allowing opportunities for women to explore and reflect on the context of maternal care and protection. This study lays bare another layer of gender in relation to child sexual abuse, and locates child welfare practice in feminist scholarly debates about women and the welfare state.

Eileen Munro, author of the seminal Munro Review, returns in this fully revised and updated third edition. With new chapters on 'Child Protection Agencies as Complex Adaptive Systems' and 'How organisations can support more effective practice', this new edition shifts its focus from individual workers to look at the critical role that organisations play in child protection, and how individuals are affected by the complex enterprise of people, processes, cultures and agencies. It remains an essential guide to strengthening analytic and intuitive skills to improve children's safety.

The state is increasingly experienced as both intrusive and neglectful, particularly by those living in poverty, leading to loss of trust and widespread feelings of alienation and disconnection. Against this tense background, this innovative book argues that child protection policies and practices have become part of the problem, rather than ensuring children's well-being and safety. Building on the ideas in the best-selling Re-imagining child protection and drawing together a wide range of social theorists and disciplines, the book: * Challenges existing notions of child protection, revealing their limits; * Ensures that the harms children and families experience are explored in a way that acknowledges the social and economic contexts in which they live; * Explains how the protective capacities within families and communities can be mobilised and practices of co-production adopted; * Places ethics and human rights at the centre of everyday conversations and practices.

This definitive textbook provides accessible information on best practice for assessing the needs and strengths of vulnerable children and their families. It explores the challenges that practitioners face routinely - with suggestions as to how to address them - as well as the established areas for assessment, of children's developmental needs, parenting ability and motivation, and socio-economic factors. This new edition has been extended substantially to include recent practice, policy and theoretical developments, such as understanding the lived experience of children, young people, and family members. It also considers children's neurological development, assessing parental capacity to change, early help assessments, emerging areas of practice such as child sexual exploitation, and working with asylum-seeking and trafficked children. Crucially, this updated edition takes a broader approach in offering relevant information to a range of professionals working with vulnerable children. The importance of inter-professional working is emphasised throughout.

The concluding volume of Dave Pelzer's million-copy bestselling memoir. 'I don't blame others for my problems. I stand on my own. And one day, you'll see, I'm going to make something of myself.' These words were eighteen-year-old Dave Pelzer's declaration of independence to his mother - a woman who had abused him with shocking brutality. But even years after he was rescued, his life remained a continual struggle. Dave felt rootless and awkward, an outcast haunted by memories of his years as the bruised, cowering 'It' locked in his mother's basement. Dave's dramatic reunion with his dying father and the shocking confrontation with his mother led to his ultimate calling: mentor to others struggling with personal hardships. From a difficult marriage to the birth of his son, from an unfulfilling career to an enduring friendship, Dave was finally able to break the chains of his past, learning to trust, to love, and to live.

Practical solutions for difficult clinical situations With many chapters written by some of the field's best known contributors, this handbook was developed for the practitioner who wants practical and effective guidance for helping abused children. Each major area of clinical practice is discussed by experienced professionals, providing you with new insights and ideas regarding: medical findings; clinical assessment; individual, group, and family therapy; testifying in court; the role of medication in treatment, and much more. To make the application from the written page to your practice even more compelling, every clinical chapter is followed by a patient vignette that demonstrates how the principles just described can be successfully applied in the working world of therapists. Whether abused children number only a few or many on your caseload, this is a handbook to which you will often refer over the years. The Handbook for the Treatment of Abused and Neglected Children pulls together a wide range of practical information for therapists on how to effectively work with abused and neglected children. Unlike other volumes on the subject, this book puts the information in context, with a 'big picture' overview of how the therapist fits into the larger system into which the child has been swept up--Child Protective Services, legal proceedings, medical issues, disputes regarding custody, etc. Inside, you'll find effective strategies for: conducting individual therapy with abused children--how to begin therapy, identify distortions, effectively challenge ingrained patterns of behavior, and constructively bring therapy to a close navigating the maze of Child Protective Services--knowing what resources are available, what obstacles are likely to arise, and how to work with social workers understanding the medical findings of maltreated children--how information from a child's physician can provide critical insights into the child's experience, and often into children's expectations of future relationships testifying in court as a therapist--how the court works and how to prepare to give effective testimony facilitating parent interventions--how to help mothers and fathers develop relationships with their children to the fullest and nurture each child's potential as his or her personality developsThe Handbook for the Treatment of Abused and Neglected Children will prove valuable for students and educators as well as novice and experienced therapists. Whether you see children only occasionally or focus your practice on maltreated children, this one-of-a-kind resource deserves a place in your professional collection.

Practical solutions for difficult clinical situations With many chapters written by some of the field's best known contributors, this handbook was developed for the practitioner who wants practical and effective guidance for helping abused children. Each major area of clinical practice is discussed by experienced professionals, providing you with new insights and ideas regarding: medical findings; clinical assessment; individual, group, and family therapy; testifying in court; the role of medication in treatment, and much more. To make the application from the written page to your practice even more compelling, every clinical chapter is followed by a patient vignette that demonstrates how the principles just described can be successfully applied in the working world of therapists. Whether abused children number only a few or many on your caseload, this is a handbook to which you will often refer over the years. The Handbook for the Treatment of Abused and Neglected Children pulls together a wide range of practical information for therapists on how to effectively work with abused and neglected children. Unlike other volumes on the subject, this book puts the information in context, with a 'big picture' overview of how the therapist fits into the larger system into which the child has been swept up--Child Protective Services, legal proceedings, medical issues, disputes regarding custody, etc. Inside, you'll find effective strategies for: conducting individual therapy with abused children--how to begin therapy, identify distortions, effectively challenge ingrained patterns of behavior, and constructively bring therapy to a close navigating the maze of Child Protective Services--knowing what resources are available, what obstacles are likely to arise, and how to work with social workers understanding the medical findings of maltreated children--how information from a child's physician can provide critical insights into the child's experience, and often into children's expectations of future relationships testifying in court as a therapist--how the court works and how to prepare to give effective testimony facilitating parent interventions--how to help mothers and fathers develop relationships with their children to the fullest and nurture each child's potential as his or her personality developsThe Handbook for the Treatment of Abused and Neglected Children will prove valuable for students and educators as well as novice and experienced therapists. Whether you see children only occasionally or focus your practice on maltreated children, this one-of-a-kind resource deserves a place in your professional collection.

There was an eerie silence in the packed courtroom as everyone looked towards the foreman of the jury. 'Guilty' he pronounced five times. The third most senior Catholic cleric in the world had been found guilty of sex crimes against children, bringing shame to the Church on a scale never seen before in its history. Investigative journalist Lucie Morris-Marr was the first to break the story that Cardinal George Pell was being investigated by the police. In this riveting dispatch, she recounts how the cleric was trailed by a cloud of scandal as he rose to the most senior ranks of the church in Australia, all the way to his appointment by Pope Francis to the position of treasurer in the Vatican. Despite anger and accusations, it seemed nothing could stop George Pell. Yet in 2017 he was charged by detectives, returning to Australia to face trial. Take a front row seat in court with the author as she reveals the many intriguing developments in the secret legal proceedings which the media could not report at the time. Fallen reveals the full story of the brutal battle waged by the prince of the church as he fought to clear his name, including a ferocious bid to be freed from jail. The author also shares her own compelling personal journey investigating the biggest story of her career and the frequent attacks she endured from powerful Pell supporters. This book also charts how Pell's shocking conviction plunged the Vatican into an unprecedented global crisis after decades of clergy abuse cases. It is a vitally important story that will fascinate anyone interested in the failure of the Catholic Church to address the canker in its heart.

Nurses, midwives and health visitors have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. In this clear and invaluable guide, Catherine Powell focuses on the practical aspects of safeguarding and how healthcare professionals should respond to safeguarding children concerns. Key features of the book include: * Setting out the roles and responsibilities of nurses, midwives and health visitors working in a range of settings, including those working primarily with adult clients * Realistic case scenarios of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect, covering infants, toddlers, school-age children and adolescents * Explanations of inter-agency working and the roles of other key players such as children's social care, the police and education services * 'Markers of Good Practice' boxes highlighting lessons for practice. The book covers the full spectrum of safeguarding children work; from prevention and early help through to statutory intervention and serious case review. New for this expanded Second Edition are: * A new chapter on child sexual exploitation, and more consideration of risks for children online * More detail on the links between domestic violence and abuse and child maltreatment * New 'Child Perspective' boxes to encourage further thought about the voice and role of the child Safeguarding and Child Protection for Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors 2e is an essential tool for students and will be invaluable for practicing healthcare staff who face an array of complex and sensitive issues in the field of safeguarding. "Dr Catherine Powell is the Institute of Health Visiting safeguarding expert, advising us on any national safeguarding issues or changes of policy. I am personally delighted that she has updated this important book. Safeguarding is the practice area that nurses, midwives and health visitors must not shy away from. It can however provide their greatest professional challenges as well as making them feel anxious about providing correct professional responses. This is a very well-structured and comprehensive book. The author very effectively brings safeguarding responsibilities to life with the use of case studies. The recurring features in the book are helpful and I very much like the inclusion of the child or young person's perspective boxes. For the inexperienced professional this can be forgotten when swamped with a complex situation. By keeping the child's perspective at the centre of all decision-making the right decisions are more likely to be made. Perhaps of particular value to learning will be the chapter on child death and serious case reviews, something professionals seek to avoid ever being involved in, but sometimes find themselves having to face. It is therefore important to learn from these reviews of what went wrong, a breakdown in professional communication so often being a feature. This chapter explains how a serious case review is carried out and allows the reader to understand how they might be asked to contribute to the process. To have a book such as this to use as a professional companion, not only to refer to and check facts, or underpin decision making, but also to expand professional knowledge, will lead to improved safeguarding practices, prompt, appropriate interventions, and better outcomes for children and families. Safeguarding is of course everyone's business and others needing to refresh or update their skills in this area will also find the information included of great value." Dr Cheryll Adams, Director, Institute of Health Visiting, UK "This is a very readable and practical book which achieves its aim to raise awareness about good safeguarding and child protection practice. The book is intended to prepare nursing, midwifery and specialist community public health nursing students and those 'returning to practice', but it will also be of use to more experienced practitioners who work with children, young people and their families, wanting to update their learning in the field. The book clearly reflects the author's expertise and knowledge in safeguarding and child protection practice. It contains a wealth of extremely useful information presented in an easily accessible fashion. The range of case examples, practice points and new for this second edition, a 'child's perspective' box, brings the text to life and focuses the reader's attention on practice needing to be 'child-centred'. This is an excellent book, which I thoroughly recommend." Jane V. Appleton, Professor in Primary and Community Care, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Oxford Brookes University, UK "All nurses have a duty to inform and alert appropriate personnel if they suspect a child has been abused, and to know where they can seek expert advice and support if they have concerns. This comprehensive text providing the link between legislation, policy, research and practice will enable students and practitioners to expand their knowledge and understanding of the key issues involved in safeguarding children and young people." Fiona Smith, Professional Lead for Children and Young People's Nursing, Royal College of Nursing, UK

The state is increasingly experienced as both intrusive and neglectful, particularly by those living in poverty, leading to loss of trust and widespread feelings of alienation and disconnection. Against this tense background, this innovative book argues that child protection policies and practices have become part of the problem, rather than ensuring children's well-being and safety. Building on the ideas in the best-selling Re-imagining child protection and drawing together a wide range of social theorists and disciplines, the book: * Challenges existing notions of child protection, revealing their limits; * Ensures that the harms children and families experience are explored in a way that acknowledges the social and economic contexts in which they live; * Explains how the protective capacities within families and communities can be mobilised and practices of co-production adopted; * Places ethics and human rights at the centre of everyday conversations and practices.

Use Your Words to Heal with This Self-Care Journal Praise for Jen Cross's Writing Ourselves Whole, the companion to this Write to Restore journal. "This is the most essential book on writing practice I know..." Pat Schneider, author of How the Light Gets In and founder of the Amherst Writers & Artists method #1 Bestseller in Gay & Lesbian Studies Jen Cross has worked with sexual trauma survivors for over fifteen years and founded an organization that is devoted to creating spaces for survivors to write and talk about their experiences. A holistic self-care journaling approach to trauma and recovery. Creative writing is increasingly becoming a go-to method for trauma recovery. There is great power in the written word, and even more so when those words are our own. Journaling provides a cathartic release of emotions because it allows us to not only process past experiences but also reflect on how we're feeling in the present moment. In this way, writing is one of the most easily accessible self-care practices. Give voice to what has been silenced. Healing from trauma can be a slow and painful process, especially for sexual trauma survivors, who are often shamed into keeping their experience to themselves. Write to Restore, a companion journal to Jen Cross's book Writing Ourselves Whole, is a space to put the pain on a page, and in doing so, release the hold it has on us and restore our bodies and minds. In this self-help journal find: A 60-day guided journey to healing from your experience Sixteen writing exercises that gently prompt writers deeper into their experiences and into renewal Follow-up readings, additional exercises, and suggested uses for your writing If you've worked through books such as The Body Keeps the Score; The Complex PTSD Workbook; Start Where You Are; Healing the Wounded Heart; or Present, Not Perfect then Write to Restore will provide further support and restoration for your healing process.

In the much-anticipated follow-up to Sunday Times bestseller Trapped, foster carer Rosie Lewis tells the heartbreaking true story of 13-year-old Zadie. When the young teenage girl runs away from home and is discovered hiding on the city streets by the police, it is clear that all is not as it should be. Taught to believe that Westerners should not be trusted, when Zadie is initially delivered into the experienced hands of foster carer Rosie she is polite and well-behaved, but understandably suspicious of the family around her. Through Rosie's support and understanding, gradually Zadie begins to settle into her new surroundings, but loyalty to her relatives, and fear of bringing shame on those around her, prevents her from confessing the horrifying truth about her troubled past. When the shocking truth finally emerges, Rosie and her family can hardly believe that Zadie had managed to keep the shocking secrets to herself for so long.

'What I wanted was for Malachy Finegan to be exposed. I felt that the wee boy I had been might be stepping from the darkness, and I needed him to be heard and to be believed.' When he was twelve and in first year at St Colman's College in Newry, Gerard Gorman was abused by paedophile priest Father Malachy Finegan. Gerard was so traumatised that for many years he was unable to talk about what had happened to him. So Young is Gerard's powerful and courageous account of how he finally found a voice to tell his story. In this memoir - with the help of his brother, the poet Damian Gorman - he talks openly about the abuse he suffered and the impact it had on his life and on the lives of those around him. He describes too his role in exposing Finegan and his long and painful battle with the Catholic Church - in and out of the civil courts - to force it to acknowledge the harm done to him and the cover-up that perpetuated Finegan's abuse. Brave, moving and open-hearted, So Young is a powerful account of surviving abuse and a damning indictment of an institution that continues to stonewall victims.

He beat them, he abused them, and he tortured them. He broke their dreams. But they came back stronger. 'Terrie and Paul are two of the bravest people I have ever met. I have only shared the briefest glimpse into the true horrors this brother and sister have endured, but I rarely come across cases this bad. After the unspeakable abuse and shocking betrayals, two incredible human beings came through - to inspire us all.' Sara Payne OBE, co-founder of Phoenix Survivors Terrie and Paul's step-father had been living with them for six months when the abuse and grooming began. What started as innocent conversations and goodnight kisses quickly developed into something far darker and depraved. Everyday Terrie was assaulted and abused; her rapes were photographed, filmed and shared. Paul was regularly taunted and mercilessly beaten. But despite the bruises and the scars, and the desperate pleas for help, no one saw their pain. But through it all they stuck together, battling for their childhoods for over a decade and masterminding creative ways to outwit their stepfather and buy themselves fleeting moments of joy. In March 2013, thirty years on, Terrie and Paul made the brave decision to give up their right to anonymity to tell of the years of abuse they endured at the hands of their recently convicted step-father and raise awareness for the ongoing battle for justice for victims of child abuse. A powerful testament of what can be achieved through courage and love, this is their inspiring story.

Trapped was a Sunday Times bestseller and the first memoir from foster carer Rosie Lewis. Phoebe, an autistic nine-year-old girl, is taken into police protection after a chance comment to one of her teachers alerts the authorities that all might not be what it seems in her comfortable, middle-class home. Experienced foster carer Rosie accepts the youngster as an emergency placement knowing that her autism will represent a challenge - not only for her but also for the rest of the family. But after several shocking incidents of self-harming, Pica and threats to kill, it soon becomes apparent that Phoebe's autism may be the least of her problems. Locked for nine years in a secret world of severe abuse, as Phoebe opens up about her horrific past, her foster carer begins to suspect that Phoebe may not be suffering from autism at all.

The Sexual Exploitation of Children: A Practical Guide to Assessment, Investigation, and Intervention, Second Edition discusses the new and different developments in the manifestation of problems involved in investigation and assessment of sexual cases and offers advice on dealing with these issues. Although many of the difficulties involved in investigation and assessment of sexual abuse allegations have remained unchanged since the first edition of this book appeared in 1987, the manner in which investigations are conducted must adapt to these new and different developments.