Eradicating Child Maltreatment

Examining whether it's possible to eradicate child maltreatment, this book draws on on global research and evidence-based practice across health, social welfare and education. It describes a range of current approaches to prevention and early intervention and presents the case for a public health approach to overcoming child maltreatment.

This book blends together current thinking about child maltreatment from a group of expert clinicians, researchers and policy makers. Its emphasis on prevention, appropriate use of systems, practical preventive programs and the use of a public heath approach to reduce child abuse is particularly welcome.

The maltreatment of children is one of the greatest social problems of our time, rarely out of the media, but often lacking in public understanding of what could effectively be done to reduce children's suffering. In this excellent book Arnon Bentovim and Jenny Gray have brought together a highly regarded group of scholars and practitioners to share their knowledge and understanding of the presentation of different forms of childhood maltreatment, and evidence informed approaches to the prevention of, and response to, multiple forms of child harm. The book is an ambitious undertaking, and all the better for being so.

The content of each chapter is relevant to all child protection professionals... This is not just a well-researched academic book, as it goes beyond describing why child maltreatment needs to be eradicated and how Case studies are used to bring alive the complex needs of the families we work with. As most of us working is safeguarding would agree this book purports the view that prevention of abuse and neglect is better than the cure... This book is a great read and a very useful reference and resource.

This is an excellent resource for provision of information about many aspects of child maltreatment... Proposed interventions by authors highlight practices and initiatives in other countries... This book explores many critical issues concerning the need for a wider preventative agenda for child maltreatment. It provokes thoughtful debate about the possibilities for drawing on a full range of responses - from professionals to community and the family... There is some useful (...) attention to the skills base of assessment and intervention, however, anyone reading this book will gain from the breadth and detailed attention throughout to research evidence and examination of theory underpinning knowledge of areas such as attachment and sex offender behaviour... This book is an important resource for students, practitioners and academics.

Jane Barlow is Professor of Public Health in the Early Years. She is Director of the Warwick Infant and Family Wellbeing Unit (WIFWU), which provides training and research in innovative evidence-based methods of supporting parenting during pregnancy and the early years. Jane has also researched extensively on the effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing and treating abuse and is a strong advocate of a public health approach to child protection. Arnon Bentovim is a Director of Child and Family Training, and a Visiting Professor at Royal Holloway, University of London. He was formerly a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist to the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and the Tavistock Clinic. He was also Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Child Health, University College London.