Charmaine Richardson's highly personal and revealing account describes how she was abused as a child within her comfortable, middle-class London home. It describes the `time bomb' for her and her family, something that led to depression, counselling and a chance meeting with sex-offender expert Ray Wyre, who she married in 1999. A large part of the book is given over to her life with Ray, his work at the Gracewell clinic and an analysis of his book, The Murder of Childhood (2nd Edn., Waterside Press, 2018) and the failure of politicians to heed his warnings about how we need to understand and deal with perpetrators. The book also contains the author's own views on bringing-up children to feel safe, comfortable and resistant to the devious ways in which paedophiles operate, including by the language we use with `little people'. Shows how the author was left to unpick the chaos of Wyre's personal life, his debts incurred in pursuit of his mission, gambling and the free-spending lifestyle that stood at odds with and was an escape from his intense professional commitment.

""I hated the thought of his child growing inside me . . . but at least I'd soon have somebody to love and, finally, somebody to love me back." "Tina has never had a stable upbringing. Aged seven, she has a paranoid schizophrenic for a mother and her father is a distant memory. So when Tina gets a new step-dad, who lavishes sweets and cuddles upon her, she feels wanted for the first time ever. Sadly, her new daddy isn't all that he seems. He begins to sexually abuse Tina, using chilling threats to scare her into silence. Tina is so terrified, she even gives birth to four of her stepfather's children without breathing a word. Her world becomes so warped the cruelty she endures seems normal--until eventually, the tragic death of one her innocent children makes her see otherwise. This is the inspiring true story of how one frightened little girl grew into a fighter and finally found the strength to escape the man who stole her childhood.

Aged thirteen, Martha is rescued by the courts from the clutches of her evil stepfather, Jackser, and her feckless mother, Sally. After numerous arrests for shoplifting, a judge rules that she is to be sent to a convent school with the instruction that she is to get an education. Her initial relief at escaping the abuse and neglect she suffered at home is, however, short-lived, as she soon realises that there are many forms of cruelty in this life. As she says, 'You can have a full belly, but your heart can be very empty.' Ostracised by the other children for being a 'street kid' and put to back-breaking work by the nuns, she leads a lonely existence, her only joy coming from the books she devours and her mischievous sense of humour. Desperate for love and a little place where she feels she belongs, despite all that she has suffered Martha retains her compassion for others and still continues to hope for a brighter future when she will be free to make her own way in life.

One October night in 1975 Richard, aged five, was alone in the house with his three sisters. It was 3am and their mother hadn't come home yet, so he and his eldest sister set off through the foggy streets to find her. At dawn they returned home alone. Next morning, the police arrived to take the children away. Their mother had become the first victim of a serial killer soon to become known as the 'Yorkshire Ripper'. Passed from one violent home to another, the children were forgotten by all except the press. As the salacious headlines multiplied, Richard and his sisters were never able to recover from their mother's murder. Whilst Richard tried to handle the terror of his violent upbringing, his sister struggled to deal with memories of sexual abuse. Without love or support they spiralled away from help or happiness. Until one day when Richard McCann, having reached suicidal rock bottom, decided no one was going to rescue their lives but him. It was the beginning of an inspirational transformation. Now he is able to tell the story of how the forgotten children of violence suffer, and how they can heal. A heartbreaking, uplifting story of survival and hope.

This reader is a collection of 23 articles on Child Abuse and Neglect. It makes an ideal complement to the APSAC Handbook On Child Maltreatment - 3rd Edition. The book is divided into five parts, including the following: 1.) Child Protection in the United States 2.) Child Neglect 3.) Physical Abuse 4.) Child Sexual Abuse 5.) Investigation and Substantiation of Neglect and Abuse. All articles selected are from the SAGE leading journals of Child Maltreatment and the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Each article contains a one page summary of key points written by John Myers as well as discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

"I squeezed through the narrow gap and out into the hallway and I stood for a moment, unable to decide where to go. Should I make a dash for the kitchen, where my mother would be swigging from a bottle? Or should I run upstairs and try to find somewhere to hide? It was a choice I didn't really need to make, because there was no escape." Anna Lowe grows up on the doorsteps of pubs, waiting for her mother to come out; having to give up her bedroom to her mother's drunken friends; and regularly calling out the ambulance, after finding her mother unconscious and covered in vomit. But it is when they move in with her mother's boyfriend Carl that things take the ugliest turn--not only is he violent with her mother, but he also sexually abuses Anna from the age of six, destroying any semblance of normal childhood she had left. "Wake Up, Mummy" is the heartbreaking true story of a little girl who eventually found the courage to break free from the past.

Praise for the first edition: 'Ann Cattanach writes with enormous empathy and warmth, and with a refreshing lack of sentimentality... [This] is an unpretentious and optimistic book, and a very positive addition to recent publications.' - British Association of Play Therapists 'I would recommend the book to anyone working in this field. This is a well presented, clear and easy-to-read book, providing a balanced mixture of factual information and case material.' - British Journal of Occupational Therapy 'What impressed me so much about this work was Cattanach's knowledge of children and their inherent strengths as well as their vulnerabilities. This practical and easy to apply book is recommended for anyone who works with abused children and would like further insight as well as practical and informative advice on healing the traumatized child.' - Trauma and Loss: Research and Interventions 'Her accounts of the way in which play is used to make sense of traumatic experiences are full of insight and often moving. All aspects of the work are covered. This is an exceptional volume - goes far beyond a mere text book.' - Therapy Weekly This second edition of Ann Cattanach's highly commended book explores the use of play therapy with abused children as a way of helping them heal their distress and make sense of their experiences through expanding their own creativity in play. The book provides practical ways of starting play therapy with abused children and explains how the child can use this process for healing. Models of intervention are described with consideration given to the particular needs of the child and the work setting of the therapist. Suggestions include short and medium term interventions, individual/group and sibling work. This edition provides new case study material, up-to-date information on relevant legislation on children's rights and welfare and recent developments in research in the field. This book is essential reading for professionals working with abused children, as well as those interested in the use of creative therapies.

This toolkit is designed to support practitioners in their work with families where parents misuse drugs and there are concerns about the children's welfare. While focusing on drugs, it covers a wider pattern of misuse, including alcohol. It contains: summaries of key messages for practitioners tools and tips to support effective practice training and development activities a wide range of practice examples The toolkit is written for the range of professionals involved with families including drug misusing parents.

The field of child sexual abuse has dramatically changed since Understanding Child Sexual Maltreatment was published in 1990. Considerable developments in child and offender research have emerged. But more significantly, a backlash against child abuse victims, Child Protective Services, and mental health professionals has impacted nearly every aspect of research, diagnosis, and intervention.

Understanding and Assessing Child Sexual Maltreatment, Second Edition updates its comprehensive coverage of child sexual abuse definitions and indicators, interview and questioning techniques, and diagnosis guidelines to include an insightful response to the building social backlash against the so-called "child abuse industry." Distinguished scholar and experienced practitioner Kathleen Coulborn Faller applies twenty-five years of clinical experience and state-of-the-art research to offer authoritative guidance to both novice and experience practitioners.

This Second Edition has been extensively revised to include

• A completely rewritten section on data gathering and analysis
• Updated assessment techniques and instruments
• Detailed coverage of post assessment intervention strategies
• Revised chapters that reflect up-to-date research and practice
• Extensive analysis of the backlash against child abuse cases

Understanding and Assessing Child Sexual Maltreatment, Second Edition presents a wealth of practical information and field-tested tools. Author Kathleen Coulborn Faller uses clear language and numerous case studies to address all aspects of child sexual abuse including: the scope of the problem, professional collaboration, data analysis and diagnosis, and sexual abuse in special contexts.

An essential resource for child protection workers, mental health practitioners, lawyers, and law enforcement personnel, Understanding and Assessing Child Sexual Maltreatment, Second Edition is also an ideal supplementary text for graduate courses in child welfare practice, social work, and psychology.

The international feminist contributors to this book look through the lens of poststructuralism at how child sexual abuse is differently represented and understood in the populist, academic, clinical, media and legal contexts. Reworking earlier feminist analyses, they show how child sexual abuse is not just about gender and power but also about class, race and sexuality. The first, theoretical section of the book critiques normative theories of the 'effects' of abuse, explores the impact and consequences of feminist interventions and critically examines the potential usefulness of a feminist post-stucturalist approach. In the second part, these understandings are applied to specific arenas of practice with the aim of providing a framework for critical intervention and alternative and better ways of working with child sexual abuse.

`It is refreshing to find child therapists ready to engage with sexually abused children by incorporating trauma theory and research, addressing child protection and seeing themselves as part of a team that includes the carers. The authors provide an overview of phases of treatment, theoretical considerations and essential skills. They emphasize the importance of relationship and explore its impact on the therapist. Their approach is creative and child-centered. Case vignettes, poems and exercises promote empathy with the child's perspective. There is a useful chapter on cultural issues and the needs of children in alternative care... this is an excellent primer for the child's helping network' - Community Care

`This is an excellent book for workers seeking to respond more effectively to child victims of abuse' - David Pearson, Caring Magazine

Therapeutic Work with Sexually Abused Children is a creative and practical guide for professionals working directly with those who have suffered sexual abuse and for their carers. The trauma of sexual abuse experienced in childhood can be severe and enduring. Therapeutic support is offered to help both the child and the family cope with psychological or emotional difficulties both currently and in later life.

Therapists must be able to respond effectively to the child victim in a sensitive and timely way which prioritizes the needs of each child. Drawing on their experience as practitioners, the authors explore the reactions which children commonly experience following abuse and examine the tasks of the therapist in responding to them.

This book explores the counselling of children who have been abused rather than adult survivors of child abuse.

Child sexual abuse is an issue which crosses professional boundaries and requires an integrated, interprofessional approach. Therapeutic Work with Sexually Abused Children will therefore be of interest to those undertaking specialist work or training in this area including social workers, psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, and health and education professionals.

This book explores the counselling of children who have been abused rather than adult survivors of child abuse.

- The book will benefit from the combined experiences of one US author and one UK author.

A professional book aimed at practitioners and practitioners in training, this volume is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive, practical approach to the assessment and treatment of physically abused children. While there are other books that cover certain aspects of assessment and treatment, this book is comprehensive in that it covers child-specific, parent-specific, and family-specific interventions. The volume will present an overview of child physical abuse (including statistics and consequences), it will discuss outcome studies and treatment implications, and it will thoroughly discuss assessment and treatment. It will help practitioners:

• Understand children?s abuse experiences, views, exposures to violence, and it will help expose thinking errors or negative attributions. It will also help the practitioner help the children with anxiety management, anger management, social skills, and safety plans.
• Help parents with child management and development, expectations and cognitive distortions, behavior management, and discipline.
• Facilitate family communication and problem solving. 

Protecting Young Children is a practical and accessible guide that provides answers to many of the questions early years practitioners commonly have about safeguarding children. It includes: information about child abuse advice on how to respond to concerns updated material on the statutory framework guidance on management and support - including recruitment and whistleblowing suggestions for building a relationship with families that may help to prevent child abuse simple interactive exercises for individuals and groups. This book is the ideal introduction to this important subject, and is essential reading for any early years pracitioner.

Psychological maltreatment is probably the most common form of child abuse. Not only is it a type of maltreatment existing in its own right, but also is imbedded in and interacts with all other forms of child abuse and neglect.

Psychological Maltreatment of Children is a brief introduction to the emotional abuse of children and youth for mental health professionals, child welfare specialists, and other professionals involved with research, education, practice, and policy development in child maltreatment. The book defines and outlines theories of psychological maltreatment and describes its effects, as well as examines this form of abuse as a social problem. It also covers assessment, prevention, and treatment strategies and shows how to analyze a case of child psychological maltreatment. This book also offers an opportunity to earn four continuing education (CE) units through the purchase and successful completion of its accompanying CE test. Both practicing professionals and students will find this concise work to be an excellent introduction to this highly pervasive yet often-ignored form of child abuse.

Based on 17 years of clinical work in both the United States and the United Kingdom, this book presents a comprehensive discussion on the use of art in counselling sexually abused children, their families, and both adult and adolescent sex offenders. Using concepts of the "trauma model" and other current theoretical models that have been shown to be effective, and drawing on case examples from her own clinical experience, Maralynn Hagood demonstrates how art therapy, counselling and psychotherapy can be blended, and tailored to the needs of the individual. She emphasises the dangers of interpreting artwork in diagnosis, arguing that it is the process of art-making which has therapeutic value.

Written for mental health professionals, this indispensable guide reviews the range of relevant literature covering issues in assessing child molesters. Fully updated, this volume directs the professional to the most current knowledge available on the subject in a compact, accessible form. Readers will learn from this resource which characteristics do and do not distinguish child molesters, which situational factors are related to molestation, which instruments are used in the assessment of child molesters, how assessment information is used to appraise risk and guide treatment, and all of the elements of a useful assessment report.

Highlighting the importance of a 'safe place' as the foundation of the healing process for those affected by child sexual abuse, this practical book details the factors that contribute to a secure therapeutic climate where recovery can take place. The Children and Families Project draws on the perspectives of those who have been abused to show how a person-centred approach to establishing a sense of safety can enable children and their relatives to regain trust and self-esteem. The book demonstrates how therapeutic services can be improved through feedback from service users and how creative activities such as storytelling, painting and drama can encourage the expression of experiences. The need for preventative work is also addressed. Of particular relevance to professionals is the exploration of some of the difficulties that may be encountered in this field of work, such as the tension that can arise between therapeutic work and the child protection system. This is an invaluable resource for anyone working with abused children and adults.

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.