Overview

It is often said that despite the time, expense and heartache expended on child abuse inquiries, little new comes out of them. In Beyond Blame thirty-five reports, which have been available since 1973, are reviewed within a systemic framework to see whether family systems ideas, with their interest in relationships, would help a re-analysis of each case at the centre of the inquiry and whether this would allow new lessons to emerge. This is the first book to summarise all the major inquiries and set them in their social context. As well as acknowledging professional responsibility and accountability, the authors go well beyond these concerns in order to make sense of professional behaviour and decision taking and to break new ground in understanding events leading up to the children's deaths. Common themes within abusing families are identified, in the relationships between members of the professional networks, and in the interactions between the families and professionals. These patterns are discussed and illustrated with extracts from the relevant cases. The authors suggest how their inferences can be applied in order to enhance professional practice and emphasise that professionals should consider relationships in many areas when assessing risk of harm to a child. The implications also have relevance for the conduct of future child abuse inquires.

Full Product Details

9780415066792

Table of Contents

Reviews

A welcome and timely addition to the literature on child abuse. . . . I hope that this book will be widely used. <br>-Olive Stevenson, University of Nottingham <br> Beyond Blame provides . . . a very important theoretical contribution to the child abuse literature . . .. <br>- Times Educational Supplement <br> This book will be of most use and interest to child mental health workers and those with an interest in the are of child abuse. <br>- Bulletin of The American Academy of Psychiatry and Law <br> This analysis is an insightful clinical consideration of abusive and neglectful families . . .. <br>- Choice <br>

'...a very important theoretical contribution to the child abuse literature...' - Clare Roskill, Times Educational Supplement

'...a very important theoretical contribution to the child abuse literature...' - Clare Roskill, Times Educational Supplement 'A useful base from which to begin to unravel and understand the development of practice and policies in relation to child abuse... would be of value to anyone working with children and families.' - Feminism and Psychology 'This is one of the most interesting and useful books I have read on this subject for some time.' - Sarah Borthwick, Adoption & Fostering '...a very important theoretical contribution to the child abuse literature...' - Clare Roskill, Times Educational Supplement 'A welcome and timely addition to the literature on child abuse... I hope that this book will be widely used.' - Olive Stevenson, Professor of Social Studies, University of Nottingham

Author Information

Dr Peter Reder, Sylvia Duncan, Moira Gray

Tab Content 6

Countries Available