Recognizing child maltreatment as a complex phenomenon requiring multifaceted responses, this volume provides a current and comprehensive assessment of the problem, and argues for an expanded conception of helping on the part of those who work with maltreated children, their families, and their communities. Contributions follow a general outline that addresses current theory and models of practice, and empirical knowledge regarding the problem, intervention, and outcomes.
Presenting and up-to- date and encompassing view of how to combat child abuse and neglect, this book discusses the concerns of service providers as well as academics. All the prevalent ways of responding to child maltreatment are addressed, and each is discussed in terms of theory, implementation and evidence for its effectiveness.
For use as an undergraduate or graduate level text for courses in child welfare, sociology, family studies, and community psychology. This text would also be insightful for professionals, academics, and policymakers concerned with child welfare.

This book exposes the role of children in war, describing where, why, and how children are deployed, the attempts made by international organizations to protect children, and the underlying political and cultural issues that make this such a thorny issue. In conflict-torn countries such as Myanmar and Uganda, the use of child soldiers in military and paramilitary operations continues to occur despite widespread condemnation and the efforts of organizations such as the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. This book will allow readers to grasp the impact of this issue for both individuals and nations worldwide. Child Soldiers: A Reference Handbook traces the evolution of child soldiers from approximately 1940 onwards, covering important historical to modern conflicts. The subject is discussed from a global perspective, with particular attention given to areas where the use of child soldiers is most prevalent. The book covers the complex underlying reasons for the continued use of child soldiers in the modern world, examines the political and psychological consequences of using children-both male and female-in military and paramilitary organizations, and describes how this subject has been addressed by international law and various human rights organizations. A chronology of major events in the efforts to limit the use of child soldiers Biographical sketches of famous child soldiers and key figures in the effort to ban the use of child soldiers A directory of organizations involved in the child soldier issue

This account of emotional and behavioural problems in young children is also a practical guide to the assessment and management of such children. It should prove of interest to health visitors, clinical medical officers, clinical and educational psychologists, nurses and child psychiatrists.

Drawing together international research from the fields of geography, alcohol studies, sociology, psychology and childhood studies, Jayne and Valentine explore children's understandings and experiences of alcohol consumption and the role of alcohol in family life. Chapters address both extra-familialnorms about parenting and drinking cultures which are generated in wider society (through law/regulation, media/advertising and social networks etc.) and intra-familialnorms including the modelling behaviour of family members attitudes to alcohol, drinking habits and practices, rules and guidance, and initiating children to drinking. Based on empirical research undertaken in the UK, and drawing on studies from around the world, Childhood, Family, Alcohol advances theoretical debates and offers insights relevant to policy and practice by: * adopting a cross-generational perspective on drinking cultures * exploring pre-teen children's understandings of alcohol * focusing on the significance of the spaces of everyday family life * considering adult alcohol consumption, drinking practices and drunken performativities * reflecting on social/individualized consumption, social reproduction, adult-children interaction and materialities * showing the importance of non-(and more-than) representational understanding of the complexities of childhood, family life and alcohol consumption.

With 1994 designated the United Nations Year of the Family, young children and their relationship with parents and carers is firmly back on the political agenda. Amongst recent legislation to meet this agenda in Britain is the Children Act 1989. The Act seeks to improve the position and perception of children in society, by stressing the rights of children and the responsibilities that parents and the caring professions have towards them. Working Together For Young Children addresses the central issues facing young children and their families in the light of this new social and political climate. The contributors - experienced in the fields of health, education, social and voluntary services - provide information, research evidence and ideas about practice in the light of recent legislative reform. Emphasising the need for continuity, comprehensiveness and collaboration at all levels of care provision, different chapters explore the services directed at children `in need' as well as children in general.

First Published in 2017. In this book the authors move easily and often between the worlds of policy, practice, and research in child and family welfare. Their own research delineates- better than any other to date- the particular factors associated with success>ful and unsuccessful older, special-needs adoptions.

Levels of violence, abuse and neglect in early childhood are reported internationally as having reached epidemic proportions. The prevalence of all forms of violence to children has been difficult to establish, particularly in low and middle income countries. However, even in countries with a high GDP, the sexual abuse of children and young people by predatory adults may continue undetected for decades. In parts of Africa young children are mutilated and killed for religious reasons. Physical beatings that injure and break bones are still common in the Western world. Pornography and sexual abuse involving young children is propagated worldwide through the internet. The prevention of this violence will require substantial shifts in parental and public attitudes to children and the development and support of national systems of preventive legislation. The last 20 years has seen the emergence of a body of material which interrogates early childhood violence and neglect in a wider range of global settings, particularly those countries with a low GDP. This book aims to highlight important features of national and international initiatives which are rooted in findings from systematic research. The continued abuse and neglect of children has been attributed to social acceptance, not understanding the importance of reporting abuse, and the limitations of child welfare systems. This book will be of interest to practitioners in health care, education, and social work services, as well as field workers implementing programmes to address all forms of abuse at family, community and national level. This book was originally published as a special issue of Early Child Development and Care.

"Child Abuse and Neglect" is the third volume sponsored by the Social Science Research Council. The goals of these volumes include the development of a biosocial perspective and its application to the interface between biological and social phenomena in order to advance the understanding of human behavior.

"Child Abuse and Neglect" applies the biosocial perspective to child maltreatment and maladaptation in parent-child relations. The biosocial perspective is particularly appropriate for investigating parent behavior since the family is the universal social institution in which children are born and reared, in which cultural traditions and values are transmitted, and in which individuals fulfill their biological potential for reproduction, growth, and development. The volume examines biological substrates and social and environmental contexts as determinants of parent behavior. By identifying areas in which contemporary human parent behaviors conform with and depart from evolutionary and historical patterns and assessing the overall costs and benefits, it permits their objective assessment in terms of modern circumstances. In analyzing evolutionary and historical variations in parent behavior and assessing their costs and benefits, the book makes possible an objective assessment of contemporary variations. Its analysis of the occurrence of child abuse in past history and in other cultures and species advances our ability to predict the probability of child abuse and neglect in various social and ecological contexts.

In India, in the second half of the twentieth century, there was a vastly increased concern for the welfare of children. Various developmental programs were undertaken for the improvement of children's status, especially in rural families. This book, first published in 1979, examines these programs and considers the enormous challenge of child care under the wide variety of conditions in this vast country.

Featuring helpful checklists, models of good practice, templates and photocopiable resources that can be used in development work, this highly practical book will be an invaluable resource for anyone involved with implementing Every Child Matters in extended schools and children's centres. As well as setting out roles and expectations, this unique book clearly and thoroughly explains how to: implement and meet the five ECM outcomes for well-being provide extended services and wraparound care work in partnership with agencies and private, voluntary and community sector providers quality-assure and evaluate the impact of provision and care self-review, monitor and evaluate the ECM outcomes in line with national standards and OFSTED. From leaders and managers, to front-line staff and volunteers, everyone will find this step-by-step handbook packed with useful advice and suggestions for further reading, websites and resources.

Discover strategies to reinforce the strengths of the youngest members of society What assistance can be provided to a disadvantaged youngster to help them bounce back to conquer challenges while growing up? At-Risk Children and Youth analyzes the results from accumulated research on the risk and resiliency of children and youth in Ireland. Niall McElwee shines a crucial spotlight on the challenges facing children, including poor literacy and numeracy skills, poverty, distrust, and other difficult issues. Practical strategies are presented to help disadvantaged children and youth to overcome societal and self-imposed barriers for improvement. A detailed review and assessment is provided of the efficacy of Ireland's Youth Encounter Projects. This important resource focuses on what works and what does not in youth services. At-Risk Children and Youth closely examines at-risk factors and what it specifically means to be 'at-risk'. Going further beyond the standard risk factors usually considered such as drug use or dropping-out of school, this probing text explores the full range of factors and coping and healing mechanisms. The author challenges several of the views and beliefs about risk and resiliency generally held by many in child and youth services and in society. This book is extensively referenced and includes helpful figures tables to clearly present information. Topics in At-Risk Children and Youth include: detailed breakdown of terms for risk behaviors and predictors of risk the issues of social class and social exclusion the impact of school difficulties on students, including truancy and poor academic standing building on student strengths the quality of the entirety of the school experience as a determination of success strategies for intervention a review of various literature on risk and resiliency a relational research model, including methodology and ethical issues description and functions of Youth Encounter Projects-and an assessment of their value at-risk youth perceptions of risk, in their own words results of risk studies over the past decade recommended changes in policies At-Risk Children and Youth is a valuable addition to the libraries of educators, students, and child and youth service providers everywhere.

Here is an informative guide to help directors and staff of residential treatment centers (RTCs) cope with the financial and administrative problems resulting from today's financially turbulent times. Financial problems have closed some centers and managed care or other health care changes will soon reach others. Managing the Residential Treatment Center in Troubled Times deals directly with current difficult financial and management problems in RTCs and presents practical advice, discussions of current problems, and possible solutions. Authors explore a wide range of topics from dealing with community hostility to planning for the future. Specifically, chapters discuss: the application of total quality management to RTCs reasons and rationale for the decline of residential establishments in England how changes in an RTC affect the youngsters who live there privatization and purchase of service contracting profit vs. nonprofit organizations one agency's experience in establishing an RTC in a resistant neighborhoodManaging the Residential Treatment Center in Troubled Times offers fresh perspectives and alternatives for professionals involved with RTCs, including directors, government regulators, social and child care workers, and psychiatrists and psychologists.

This collection is the first major exploration of the issues related to young people who are affected by child sexual exploitation (CSE) and child trafficking for exploitation. These include consideration of the language we currently use to construct and understand CSE; how to conceptualise CSE and sexual violence that takes place in gangs or between peers; issues of how 'consent' relates to young people in abusive or exploitative sexual relationships; how young people themselves might participate in work to improve service delivery; why some looked after young people are at greater risk of CSE than others and how they might keep safe. The volume also reviews policy and practice developments in Scotland; the risk of CSE for young women who go missing to escape forced marriages; the importance of including young people at risk of CSE in decision-making about their care; how and why trafficking and CSE came to be defined as objects of international policy concern and how community organizations might be mobilized to protect young people from the risk of trafficking for CSE.
This volume is essential reading for academics, students, practitioners and policymakers in the fields of social work and social policy, child protection and youth work, criminology and sociology and the health care services.

What assistance can be provided to disadvantaged youngsters to help them conquer the many challenges they face while growing up? At-Risk Children & Youth: Resiliency Explored analyzes the results from accumulated research on the risk and resiliency of children and youth in Ireland. Author Niall McElwee explains many of the challenges faced by children, including poor literacy and numeracy skills, poverty, distrust, and other difficult issues. Practical strategies are presented to help disadvantaged children and youth to overcome societal and self-imposed barriers for improvement. A detailed review and assessment is provided on the efficacy of Ireland's Youth Encounter Projects. This important resource focuses on what works and what does not in youth services. At-Risk Children & Youth: Resiliency Explored closely examines risk factors, and what it specifically means to be 'at-risk'. Going further beyond the standard risk factors usually considered such as drug use or dropping-out of school, this probing text explores the full range of factors and coping and healing mechanisms. The author challenges several of the views and beliefs about risk and resiliency generally held by many in child and youth services and in society. This book is extensively referenced and includes helpful figures tables to clearly present information. Topics in At-Risk Children & Youth: Resiliency Explored include: A breakdown of terms for risk behaviors and predictors of risk Issues of social class and social exclusion The impact of school difficulties on students, including truancy and poor academic standing Strategies to build on student strengths The quality of the entirety of the school experience as a determination of success Strategies for intervention A review of literature on risk and resiliency A relational research model, including methodology and ethical issues Description and functions of Youth Encounter Projects-and an assessment of their value Results of risk studies over the past decade Recommended changes in policies At-Risk Children & Youth: Resiliency Explored is a valuable addition to the libraries of educators, students, and child and youth service providers everywhere.

Expansion of Publicly Funded Health Insurance in the United States introduces the issues, policies, and future concerns of health care within the United States to scholars of social sciences. Through research and outreach projects with the Child Health Insurance Program, Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld expresses concerns with the United States health care system with a focus on government regulations in conjunction with the health care of children and less affluent Americans. By looking at the precision in which the Child Health Insurance Program performed and examining case studies, Kronenfield is able to parallel government polices with regard to health insurance to the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. This engaging volume is well suited to courses involving the study of social issues and the American government.

Childrens Services: Working Together brings together contributions from a number of authors in the field. The book covers policy, theory, research and practice relevant to students and professionals working with children in a wide range of roles. The emphasis on working collaboratively with other professionals, where appropriate, and the holistic approach to children make this a valuable resource to anyone working with children today.

The Sesame Effect details the wide-ranging work of Sesame Workshop and its productions across the world. With an emphasis on impact and evidence from research on projects in low- and middle-income countries, the book tells the stories behind the development of an international family of Muppet characters created for the locally produced adaptations of Sesame Street. Each chapter highlights the educational message of international co-productions and presents the cultural context of each project. Readers will understand the specific needs of children living in a given locale, as well as gain insight into the educational drivers of each project. These projects often deal with difficult issues, from race relations in the United States, to HIV/AIDS education in South Africa, to building respect across cultural divides in the Middle East. Readers will see how local productions have helped build a new mindset that values the importance of early childhood education, and how Sesame Street promotes a brighter future by building children's academic skills, encouraging healthy habits, and by fostering attitudes that counter negative stereotypes and create appreciation of and respect for others. The Sesame Effect shows how, when magnified across the millions of children touched by the various international programs, Sesame Workshop and its projects are making a difference around the world.

The Sesame Effect details the wide-ranging work of Sesame Workshop and its productions across the world. With an emphasis on impact and evidence from research on projects in low- and middle-income countries, the book tells the stories behind the development of an international family of Muppet characters created for the locally produced adaptations of Sesame Street. Each chapter highlights the educational message of international co-productions and presents the cultural context of each project. Readers will understand the specific needs of children living in a given locale, as well as gain insight into the educational drivers of each project. These projects often deal with difficult issues, from race relations in the United States, to HIV/AIDS education in South Africa, to building respect across cultural divides in the Middle East. Readers will see how local productions have helped build a new mindset that values the importance of early childhood education, and how Sesame Street promotes a brighter future by building children's academic skills, encouraging healthy habits, and by fostering attitudes that counter negative stereotypes and create appreciation of and respect for others. The Sesame Effect shows how, when magnified across the millions of children touched by the various international programs, Sesame Workshop and its projects are making a difference around the world.

This will be a concise and practical resource for a range of carers and practitioners working with children who experienced trauma. It will highlight their characteristics in contrast with those for children living in stability, and will describe specific techniques and strategies to help them in different environments and situations. The aim will be to equip practitioners with a range of approaches for these groups of vulnerable children, which are appropriate to sensitively meet their needs and make a difference to their emotional well-being. Key features: case studies; work-sheets; and, evidence-based interventions. It is authored by Dr Panos Vostanis, Professor of Child Psychiatry, University of Leicester; Consultant Child Psychiatrist, Leicestershire Child Mental Health Service.

Over the past decade, our understanding of the fundamental differences in child development, behavior, and emotional maturity between boys and girls has increased dramatically, and as a result, many gender-specific interventions and support programs have been developed to meet the needs of parents, teachers, and mental health professionals. However, these all take the form of responses designed to minimize an already disruptive behavior pattern. What has been needed is a pro-active program whose goal is to instill positive skills and patterns in 'at-risk' boys, rather than waiting to address problems after they are already visible. The BAM! Boys Advocacy and Mentoring program fills this need by providing the first guidebook for group facilitators who want to lead preventative boys groups designed to foster communication skills and emotional connections. Based on years of research and refined over the course of countless sessions run by the authors, the program has been field-tested and tailored for use either in the school setting or outside. Over a series of group sessions, participants are encouraged to understand their emotions and interpersonal interactions without losing a sense of 'maleness' as a result of emotional growth and communication with peers about personal issues. The activities are designed to be engaging across age groups, and the individual exercises and program structure can be modified to fit into any existing school- or community-based mentoring system. The guidebook contains all of the information and tools a facilitator needs in order to implement and maintain these boys groups.

This book represents a significant contribution to the highly contested debate surrounding how allegations of child sexual abuse should be evaluated. Despite decades of substantial research in this sensitive area, professional consensus remains elusive. A particular source of contention is the sensitivity vs. specificity debate; whether evaluators should give priority to reducing the number of true allegations that are labelled false or to reducing the number of false allegations that are labelled true. This edited collection aims to address directly and offer new insights into this debate. It responds directly to Kuehnle and Connell's edited volume, The Evaluation of Child Sexual Abuse Allegations: A Comprehensive Guide to Assessment and Testimony (2009), which included chapters which advocated strong specificity positions at the expense of sensitivity. The chapters in this collection feature both challenges to, and replies by, the authors in Kuehnle and Connell's book, making this an essential resource that moves the debate forward. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse.

This book introduces the Relational Learning Framework (RLF), an assessment tool which helps foster care practitioners, social workers and foster carers to examine what foster children have learned in their early life about relationships and particularly through maltreatment. Grounded in attachment theory and drawing on cognitive theory this book will help practitioners to understand and respond to the challenging behaviour presented by these children and remove barriers to an empathic response. Early chapters provide context in a theoretical discourse on the causes and consequences of psychological and attachment difficulties for children in care, including a discussion of maltreatment and foster care. The theoretical basis of the technique will be outlined and subsequent chapters will explain how to undertake RLF including the wide-ranging practice evidence, a worked example, common themes and trouble shooting. This will be an invaluable source for clinical practitioners, social workers, foster care practitioners and foster parents who want to make sense of the complex information about children in foster care to improve their relationships. It will also provide insight into foster children's mental health and behaviour for academics and postgraduate students in related disciplines.

So, you've passed your degree and have started your first job. But are you confident about translating the theory into practice? Are you prepared to juggle the workload of a busy social worker? Do you have a plan for your continuing professional development? This practical guide provides a wealth of suggestions to help you to hit the ground running in the early stages of your new career. Fully revised and updated with the latest national frameworks for NQSWs, this survival guide provides a range of strategies for managing your time and workload, and offers suggestions for finding support, coping with stress and maintaining job satisfaction. It addresses different ways of handling challenging and unfamiliar situations with colleagues, managers, other professionals and service users. Each chapter concludes with a checklist of key points as a ready reference for practitioners preparing to face the daily challenges of their new professional status. This invaluable guide will be an essential support for all students, post-qualification and returning practitioners who need to make a smooth transition to practice and be successful in the workplace.

Services for young children have gone through a period of rapid transformation in recent years, which have been paralleled by great advances in our knowledge of early child development. However, care and education in the first three years of life continues to be a neglected area.

Thoroughly updated to take account of key policy and practice changes in childcare provision, this landmark text translates child development theory and research into everyday practice. All the practical ideas in the book have been developed and tested in nurseries, family and children s centres and include the importance of providing opportunities for adventurous and exploratory play for babies and toddlers, understanding and responding to children's emotional needs and offering personalized and sensitive care. The book also explores different ways of working with parents and the role of early years settings and practitioners in helping to keep children safe. It includes chapters on:

• Childcare policy and services
• Planning spaces for living, learning and playing
• Babies in day care
• Heuristic play with objects
• Mealtimes
• Learning out of doors
• Leading and managing a childcare centre
• Involving and working with parents
• Safeguarding children

People Under Three" is an established practical text for all those training to work with young children or managing day care facilities. Focusing on the care and learning of very young children, it is designed specifically for those who look after them day by day, as well as being a useful resource for social work students and policy makers."