The Sunday Times top ten bestseller... 'Nobody knew what was going on behind those doors. We were human toys. Just a piece of meat for someone to play with.' Barbara O'Hare was just 12 when she was admitted to the psychiatric hospital, Aston Hall, in 1971. From a troubled home, she'd hoped she would find sanctuary there. But within hours, Barbara was tied down, drugged with sodium amytal - a truth-telling drug - and then abused by its head physician, Dr Kenneth Milner. The terrifying drug experimentation and relentless abuse that lasted throughout her stay damaged her for life. But somehow, Barbara clung on to her inner strength and eventually found herself leading a campaign to demand answers for potentially hundreds of victims. A shocking account of how vulnerable children were preyed upon by the doctor entrusted with their care, and why it must never happen again.

Reports on the nature and prevalence of child abuse and neglect and organizational responses to the problem to provide a framework for policy and program development.

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.

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."

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.

The issue of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is firmly in the public spotlight internationally and in the UK, but just how well is it understood? To date, many CSE-related services have been developed in reaction to high profile cases rather than being designed more strategically. This much-needed book breaks new ground by considering how psychosocial, feminist and geo-environmental theories, amongst others, can improve practice understanding and interventions. Edited by one of the leading scholars in the field, this is an essential text for students and those planning strategic interventions and practice activities in social, youth and therapeutic work with young people, as it supports understanding of how CSE arises and how to challenge the nature of the abuse.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This revealing, disturbing, and thoroughly researched book exposes a dark side of faith that most Americans do not know exists or have ignored for a long time--religious child maltreatment. After speaking with dozens of victims, perpetrators, and experts, and reviewing a myriad of court cases and studies, the author explains how religious child maltreatment happens. She then takes an in-depth look at the many forms of child maltreatment found in religious contexts, including biblically-prescribed corporal punishment and beliefs about the necessity of "breaking the wills" of children; scaring kids into faith and other types of emotional maltreatment such as spurning, isolating, and withholding love; pedophilic abuse by religious authorities and the failure of religious organizations to support the victims and punish the perpetrators; and religiously-motivated medical neglect in cases of serious health problems.
In a concluding chapter, Heimlich raises questions about children's rights and proposes changes in societal attitudes and improved legislation to protect children from harm.
While fully acknowledging that religion can be a source of great comfort, strength, and inspiration to many young people, Heimlich makes a compelling case that, regardless of one's religious or secular orientation, maltreatment of children under the cloak of religion can never be justified and should not be tolerated.

Bestselling author and foster carer Casey Watson shares the shocking true story of Tyler, an abused eleven-year-old who, after stabbing his step-mother, had nowhere else to go. Knowing a little of Tyler's past - his biological mother, a heroin addict, died of an overdose when he was three - Casey feels bound to do her best for him. It isn't easy; Tyler continuously lashes out, even trying to attack Casey herself. Investigation into his earlier childhood reveals why: forced to watch his mother die he was found emaciated and traumatised two days later, then delivered to a father who didn't want him and a step-mother who beat him. With the horrific events of his past now vividly affecting the course of his present, Casey and her husband Mike are determined to veer him away from the violence and drugs they fear he will come to depend on. Heartbreaking and profoundly moving, Nowhere to Go tells the story of a child forsaken by his family but fought for by his foster carers.

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.

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.

When domestic abuse and children are involved, divorce and custody can be the epitome of high-stakes conflict and frustration and all too frequently protective parents lose custody of their child to a named abuser. Domestic Abuse, Child Custody, and Visitation helps mental health professionals, attorneys, and lay readers navigate the judicial process so that decisions are truly made in the best interest of children. The text reveals how all the puzzle pieces of the judicial process fit together - judges, attorneys, mental health experts, children, spouses - and how to overcome many of the obstacles they will confront along the way. This runs the gamut, from the selelection of a lawyer and experts, to setting necessary groundwork for an appeal. Domestic Abuse, Child Custody, and Visitation is an essential read for mental health professionals and lay people involved in divorce and custody, family court judges, family law attorneys, and mental health professionals involved in domestic abuse and custody matters.

This deeply moving memoir tells the story of Hannah: a child who has been beaten and abused; a girl full of loneliness and rage; a student no one but learning disabilities teacher Mary MacCracken could reach. Mary had reservations about eight-year-old Hannah joining her class. The three emotionally disturbed boys she was currently looking after had been making steady progress, and Hannah, who had a reputation for being a withdrawn and incredibly troubled child, would only be a disruptive influence. For the first fortnight Hannah retired to a cupboard and refused to come out. Howling almost non-stop she was displaying the worst symptoms that Mary had ever seen. How could Mary help a child who had been shut up in closets and treated like an animal? What could she say to a child who had been locked out of her own home, and beaten by both her brother and her father? How could she reach this lost girl? This is the remarkable story of Hannah and Mary's journey together. Deep within Hannah, Mary recognises an amazing strength. And with love, skill and patience, she gradually starts to make a difference. It's a long road to recovery, but Mary never gives up. As this moving true story unfolds, we feel Mary's joy, we share her hope and, in time, her faith that Hannah will be okay.

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 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.

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.