Child abuse Books

Book SynopsisThe words came from his mouth,'Don't say anything about this to your mum. She won't believe you.' At the age of 11, a beautiful happy girl found herself thrust into a nightmare of abuse and violation that ripped her world apart. At the mercy of three men, she endured a four-year ordeal of sexual exploitation and degradation before eventually finding the strength to say 'no more'. Confusion and shame made her keep her secret for 16 years. This is her remarkable story. Sarah has endured what no child should. Subjected to extreme abuse from a family 'friend', she turned to her father only to experience the same treatment from him. Utterly devastated, Sarah even stared to wonder if she was somehow to blame for this most unforgivable of betrayals and was driven to attempted suicide - a life was nearly destroyed by the selfishness of three deeply troubled and wicked men.

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Book SynopsisThe astonishing true story of Beverli Rhodes, child victim of a sick, high-profile paedophilia ring and, years later, of the London Tube Bombings, who rebuilt her life with the help of one very special animal - the horse. Horses saved Beverli Rhodes' mind, and life. As a child, her world consisted of sexually abusive men, and her beautiful saviour horses. She survived to make a life for herself - only to suffer a second, devastating blow when she was caught up in the London Underground bombings of 7 July 2005, in which she was seriously injured. With the British healthcare system failing her, she sought other avenues to cop with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, her recovery directly resulting from contact with horses. She is now able to live a peaceful life, and continues to maintain her strong connection with the animals that helped save her. Moving and at times horrific, The Horse Girl is an extraordinary story of hate redeemed by love, as well as a testament to the triumph of the human spirit over the most terrible adversity.

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Book SynopsisTom was the only adult who gave me the attention and affection that I so badly needed. I loved his caresses and the times he comforted me. I loved talking to him because he was the only adult who listened and understood. - Neil''s Story From Victim to Offender shows how victims of child sexual abuse become juvenile and adult offenders. The stories told by these offenders reveal the vulnerability of boys to paedophiles and pederasts who provide the male attention lacking in some children''s home lives. They show how early sexualisation damages children''s sexual development, their relationships and their adult lives. The story of a female offender reveals that this problem is not confined to boys. These stories highlight the inadequacy of current child protection programs for the protection of boys. The editor''s introduction and the chapter from a psychologist who specialises in the treatment of offenders emphasise the need to improve child protection and

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Book SynopsisThis is a true story of Molly, who by the age of four had suffered so many beatings and experienced so much sexual abuse that she suffered from an enormous fear of human contact. In a period of six years among a family of twelve only her abusers themselves were aware of her constant pain and suffering. Her other siblings, her father and her mother knew nothing until it was too late, and even then they found it difficult to accept that it happened in and around the house where they lived.

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Book Synopsis'Molly II' is the sequel to 'Little Molly' the true story of a little girl who suffered so many beatings and experienced so much sexual abuse that she suffered from an enormous fear of human contact. In Molly II; I have tried to give some insight into the aftermath that occurs in a victim's life following child abuse. It is a true account of broken marriages, failed relationships, abduction and attempted murder. It depicts the true story of a young mother and her children's struggle to survive after being destroyed by the effects and aftermath of child abuse.

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Book SynopsisTells the story of a child's abuse at the hands of his alcoholic mother.

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Book SynopsisSparky: Surviving Sex Magick is the literary memoir of a little girl warrior, who survived. Sparky's story shines the spotlight on crimes against American children that were sanctioned on a national scale by the United States government. At the age of six in 1955, she was sold by her parents to the Sex Magick cult run by the CIA under its illegal program of secret experimentation on mind control called Monarch. By the time she was ten, she'd been purposely split into multiple identities, each one associated with a different age and place as her family moved around the country to avoid Child Protective Services and the police. With each new identity, she forgot the last one. In Imperial Beach, California, a tough neighborhood of gangs and brothels abutting the Tijuana Sewer and the Mexican border, she discovered her own courage in the determined persona of a new character, Sparky MacGregor, a Scottish girl who stepped from the pages of an old book and chided her for being weak and afraid. When they touched hands, she exhaled the last vestiges of fear and defeat. She became a warrior who never surrendered. As she grew older, Sparky's memory faded as she was moved from one location to the next. At the age of seventeen, she escaped from a camp in Big Sur, and left childhood behind. She became a physician, raised a family and moved to Moscow where she founded and ran an underground railroad for child sex trafficking victims from the former USSR. Years later, she returned to Imperial Beach to speak at an international conference on border security. The memory of her lost childhood suddenly returned. It hung in the briny air of the wetlands that stretched south to Tijuana. It was there that she re-discovered Sparky. When they touched hands again, the fusion of past and present was like the purr of two engines meshed into synchrony. "Do you remember your promise to me?" Sparky asked. "You vowed to write our terrible story, making it beautiful." This is Sparky's story.Trade Review" Sparky opens the curtain to an incredible life story of a young girl subjected to Monarch programming long denied by its perpetrators. One can barley believe how government and academic foundations could devise and carry out such horrific programs on unsuspecting, vulnerable human beings, all for the purpose of espionage. As one who has interviewed many of these individuals, her story rings loud and true. I highly recommend this book as an encouragement to survivors, and as an equipping tool to to understand and save others from this program, that continues on today through human trafficking and triggered, programed acts against the state." Randy DeMain, Christian minister and author of Nephilim Resurgence, the rise of the 4th kingdom and Endtime Spiritual Warriors"From Seattle in 1953 to the Mexican border in 1959 to Moscow in 1990, Juliette Engel has lived a life straight out of a Jason Bourne novel. As she retells her adventures, I am right at her side, breathing hard." Frank S. Joseph, former senior editor for Washington Post, Author of To Love Mercy" SPARKY is an extraordinary work, more thriller than memoir. The author weaves a terrifying yet compelling tale and maintains tension on every page. A tragic and yet a triumphant read. A page-turner all the way through." Richard W. Marek, Editor, Richard Marek Books at Putnam Publishing Group, author of Works of Genius and editor of The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum."Sparky is her name, but spunky is the temperament of this little girl, born into devastating circumstances, and who faced seemingly insurmountable odds. SPARKY is an amazing story that depicts the power of a child's imagination to protect, to lift up, and to heal." Solveig Eggerz, author of Seal Woman and Sigga of Reykjavik"Juliette Engel's spunky memoir is a fast-paced easy read. Brilliantly told, her harrowing story needs to be read and understood by all of us. Fasten your seat belt and get ready for a wild ride through Sparky's world." Katharine Lorr, author of Deer Management and Border Loss"After over thirty years in local and federal law enforcement, I thought I had seen and heard of everything but Sparky revealed a world I never knew existed. I had heard of aspects of this dark world, but never imagined it happening to someone I knew. Reading Sparky was fascinating, intriguing, thought provoking and dealt with timely issues we all need to be aware of. Sparky is well-written and the story is a fast-paced mystery with exciting revelations and twists and turns. I recommend Sparky for those interested in learning the dark secrets of mind control, child trafficking and how easily innocence can be stolen from those unable to defend themselves." Susan Ashcraft, Retired Federal Agent (Drug Enforcement Administration, US Department of Justice)

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Book SynopsisHer abusive father and controlling mother hampered Tricia Cook but did not prevent her from accomplishing a lot in life. A stressful childhood in Yorkshire, with bombing, rationing and often being shut up in a cupboard, was followed by nursing school, marriage and children.Then came emigration —surviving the cold of northern Canada — before moving to theVancouver area, where she worked in extended health care. When her back gave out, she experienced the fate of a disabled worker. Forced to retire, she took courses and volunteered for decades in hospice and arthritis care, ultimately becoming a counsellor. After group psychology and finding out her younger sister had also been abused, she knew she had to warn others to speak up.

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Book SynopsisAn inspiring story of resilience, told with a vivid sense of character and humour. RICHARD CROUSE, CTV host and film criticFilm critic, writer, and broadcaster Thom Ernst chronicles his life growing up with an abusive father in rural Ontario.The residents of Waubamik know about the Wild Boy, a somewhat feral child, standing nearly naked in a rusty playground of weeds and discarded metal, clutching a headless doll. They know the boy has been plucked from poverty and resettled into a middle-class family. But they don't know that something worse awaits him there.This is the story of a system that failed, a community that looked the other way, and a family that kept silent. It is also a record of the popular culture of the 1960s a powerful set of myths that kept a boy comforted. But ultimately, The Wild Boy of Waubamik is a story of triumph, of a man who grew up to become a film critic and broadcaster despite his abusive childhoodTrade ReviewA refreshing and strange coming of age story that’s redolent with all the heavy stuff — mortality, impermanence, family — but also dances in the light. Thom Ernst has made his own confection, and the rewards are in the sugar of the language and the tart of the story. * Dave Bidini, author of Midnight Light *Courageously honest, and emotionally shattering, The Wild Boy of Waubamik scratches the surface of complacency to dive into the deep, secret waters of childhood sexual abuse, giving a voice to those unheard. Beautifully written, this memoir is as illuminating as it is necessary. * Heidi von Palleske, actor and author of Two White Queens and the One-Eyed Jack *Thom Ernst’s harrowing, heartfelt, fascinating and thoroughly original and readable memoir of adoption and abuse — and the art that can come of them. * Ian Brown, broadcaster and award-winning author *An inspiring story of resilience, told with a vivid sense of character and humour. * Richard Crouse, CTV host and film critic *Filters trauma through pop culture, the past through screens, whether they be silver, televisual, or the many varieties of emotional self-defence. * Andrew Pyper, author of The Homecoming *

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Book SynopsisChild abuse and neglect are both individually and group generated, socially dictated social traumas, rooted in the fabric of the socialization process itself. -- Michael Miller, M.Ed., M.S., Ph.D. All forms of child abuse interfere with the healthy and creative functioning of the child. Abuse of any kind handicaps the individual in one or more important areas of development, while at the same time, over emphasizes attributes that properly belong to other areas of psychic unfoldment. It is absolutely impossible for the primary form of abuse, whether it be physical, emotional, mental, sexual or interpersonalnot to inhibit functioning in other areas of the childs life. Abused children have the highest rates of developmental problems, incidents of juvenile delinquent behavior, and, as adults, show the highest incidence of addictions. The latter include addiction to food, alcohol, sex and drugs. They also have the highest rate of psychopathological disturbances, in addition to exhibiting the highest rate of criminal behavior. And not surprisingly, they also have the highest probability of becoming child abusers themselves. We as a society have agreedat least in a public waythat physical and sexual abuse must cease. But in fact, we have not yet identified or recognized that abuse designed to cause fear and pain by threatening the withdrawal of love, is often much, much more devastating. Why have we failed in this recognition? Because it is so common. Parents who use the withdrawal of love and support in coercing a child into behaving, are committing child abuse. Unconditional love is the vaccine against all future dysfunction -- Michael Miller, M.Ed., M.S., Ph.D.

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Book SynopsisA gripping verse memoir that offers a compassionate and wrenching account of the author’s experience of childhood sexual abuse.Trade Review"[Because] is a rare and remarkable text. Although it deals unswervingly with abuse, violations of trust and the deeply damaging effect of both of these, it is also literary, powerful and consoling…A deeply achieved record of human truth, earned at cost and beautifully expressed." -- Eavan Boland

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Book SynopsisEntering the tumultuous, dissociated world of the adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse presents an intimidating challenge for clinicians. But as the authors of this innovative book argue, therapists must be willing and able to work within the powerful and rapidly shifting relational paradigms of transference and countertransference commonly found in treatment of these patients. Such dual roles enacted in treatment include the unseeing, uninvolved parent and the unseen, neglected child the sadistic abuser and the helpless, enraged victim the idealized rescuer and the entitled child and the seducer and the seduced.This is the first model for treatment of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse that takes advantage of a relational approach and that integrates psychoanalytic thinking with the latest findings from the literature on psychological trauma and sexual abuse. Diverging from a more classical perspective, the authors view dissociation as the means by which a person adapts to Table of Contents* Trauma and Childhood Sexual Abuse in Psychoanalysis * Long-Term Sequelae and Diagnosis of childhood Sexual Abuse * An Integrative Model of Childhood Sexual Abuse * Dissociation * Disclosure and the Recovery of Memories * Reality Testing and the Question of Validation * Exposure to Danger, the Erotization of Fear, and Compulsive Self-Abuse * The Impact of Trauma on Transference and Countertransference * Eight Transference-Countertransference Positions * Transference and Countertransference: A Case Example * Technical Considerations in Treatment * Concluding Thoughts: Theoretical Implications and Reconsiderations

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Book SynopsisWendy C. Regoeczi is professor and chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina, USA.

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Book SynopsisWhen Brooke Axtell was seven years old, her nanny subjected her to sex trafficking. Today, she is a champion and advocate for women around the world who have experienced sexual violence and trauma.Beautiful Justice shares Brooke's own gripping story, both the trauma of sex trafficking and also her pathway through healing, moving on, and reclaiming power. Along the way, she imparts warm wisdom for others who have experienced similar violence, providing lessons from her own life and from the thousands of women, advocates, and lawmakers she's spoken with. Relying on her own experiences and a keen awareness of public policy, she provides a clear-eyed awareness of the ways that our culture and government work against women experiencing violence around the world. Inspiring and powerfully redemptive, Brooke encourages readers to take part in a creative resistance as a path to justice.

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Book SynopsisThere 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.Trade ReviewUtterly absorbing -- Peter Donoughue * Booknotes *Gripping and insightful -- Chrissie Foster * AM *Table of ContentsForeword by Chrissie Foster AMPrologue: The secret wait1. A whisper in the dark2. Big George from Ballarat3. Silencing the lambs4. Winter Gail5. Wake up the cardinal6. Courting controversy7. Belinda's burden8. The Cathedral trial9. War cry from Rome10. Play it again, Kid11. Beyond reasonable doubt12. The world's worst kept secret13. Friends in high places14. Solitary retreatNotes

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Book SynopsisSharon Shoesmith was Director of Children's Services for Haringey in 2007 at the time of the death of Peter Connelly, also known as 'Baby P'.In Learning from Baby P, she carries out a dispassionate analysis of the events which followed Peter Connelly's death, documenting the responses of the media, politicians and the public. She explores the psychological and emotional responses we share when faced with such horrifying cases of familial child homicide, and how a climate of fear and blame which follows such tragedies can lead to negative consequences for other children at risk of harm, and for the social workers striving to protect them.Learning from Baby P is a thought-provoking book which aims to deepen understanding and shed light on the difficult relationship between politics, the media and child protection.Trade ReviewThis is a book which is informed by the head and the heart. It explores what underlay and drove the media and political frenzy of the 'Baby P story', which unjustly and wrongly blamed and vilified Shoesmith and her colleagues and undermined and distorted child protection and social work. Of great relevance to all who work with children and families, hopefully it will be read widely and lessons will be learned by the press and politicians who wielded power without wisdom or integrity. -- Ray Jones, Professor of Social Work, Kingston University and St George's, University of LondonA detailed and thoroughly engrossing read which succeeds in extending our understanding of the case of Peter Connelly and, more particularly, the socio-emotional, political and media responses to his tragic death and the 'scandal' which was to unfold. Should be read by everyone with an interest in child abuse and how we can begin to seriously address the challenges involved in improving child protection policy and practice. -- Nigel Parton, Professor in Applied Childhood Studies, University of Huddersfield, EnglandA cogent, compelling analysis of the blame culture in social work. Essential reading for anyone wishing to understand, reflect and learn from the responses to the high profile familial homicide of Peter Connelly. -- Ruth Smith, Publisher, Community CareThis is a very serious and important work of professional and academic scholarship. Sharon Shoesmith is in no way pursuing a personal agenda. Rather, through rigorous and evidence based analysis she discloses the cultural and social conditions that allowed, and still allow, social workers to shoulder the blame for events that actually require sophisticated and thoughtful understanding if we are to learn from the tragedy of Peter Connelly's death. An essential resource for our profession in the struggle to promote and defend the role of social work in modern child welfare and protection. -- Andrew Cooper, Professor of Social Work, The Tavistock Centre and University of East LondonAt the heart of this formidable, authoritative book is a forensic account of a modern day political witch hunt. -- Patrick Butler, Social Policy Editor, The GuardianThe emotional, financial and reputational impact on Sharon Shoesmith and on the other workers who lost their jobs as a result of Baby Peter's death is graphically described, but so too is the careful examination of society's wish in effect to sanitise familial child homicide. It is easier to publicly blame and humiliate workers (who were working to protect children) than it is to accept that a mother has either caused or allowed her child to die. -- Andrea Morris, Locality Director, Children’s Services, Devon County Council * Research, Policy and Planning *The book is a brave and significantcontribution to knowledge surrounding contemporary child and family social work and thereasons for adopting this approach are understandable given the level of scrutiny and abuseShoesmith has already experienced via some aspects of the media and general public.I would recommend this book to social work students, academics (politics, social work, socialpolicy - and other public services, including teachers, health workers.). It offers an invaluableinsight into social work with children and families and a unique insight into the challengesinvolved in the sector. Taking a challenging experience and using this to produce a valuablecontribution to knowledge is something to be commended. -- Journal of Social Work PracticeTable of ContentsPreface. Introduction. 1: The Background to the Familial Homicide of Peter Connelly. 2: The Denial of Crimes Against Children. 3: Exploring Processes of Blame, Fear and Denial from a Psychosocial Perspective. 4: The Socio-Political and Cultural Context of the Death of Peter Connelly. 5: The Narrative About Baby P Emerges. 6: The Identification of a Cultural Trope That Blames Social Workers for Harm to Children. 7: Conclusions and Main Findings. Appendices. Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisDevelop children's brains and bonds with this collection of no-tech, physical games, strategies and activities. Ideal for children who have experienced neglect, abuse and trauma, these "real-world" experiences draw on therapeutic, trauma-focused-care play principles and promote positive attachment between child and caregivers.Explanations for how and why specific play themes and caregiver attitudes can help children's brain development enhance the text. The book also shows how children learn to problem-solve real life situations by playing them out, finding workable solutions to their own problems, and increasing their resiliency. Further benefits include better cause-effect thinking, impulse control, and increased cognitive and emotional functioning by practicing physical movements that exercise specific areas of the brain.Trade ReviewThis book gives fun ways to engage children in physical as well as mental activities during difficult times of pain or hurt. The physical activities especially strengthen muscle memory, providing a vast opportunity for children who will benefit from this well-written and timely book! -- Dawn D'Amico LCSW, PhD, author of 101 Mindful Arts-Based Activities to Get Children and Adolescents TalkingThis is a fresh approach and much-needed resource for today's parents. An essential book for those who wish to instill "non-tech" problem-solving skills for real world problems that children face in the 21st century. Powell's personal stories and powerful insight combine to make this an easy read. The book is filled with helpful strategies and the questions at the end of each chapter are a great learning tool and resource. Truly, this is a book that is ideal for those working with children suffering from trauma. -- Dr. John DeGarmo, leading expert in foster care and parenting, founder of The Foster Care InstituteWhat I find most interesting about Beth Powell's work is the connections she makes between the physical, the neurological, and the emotional. She reminds us that physical play and creative play are vital for healthy human growth and must retain significance in this world of electronic and passive stimulants. -- Dr. Brandy Harvey, Dean of Instruction, Lone Star College, MontgomeryFun Games and Physical Activities to Help Heal Children Who Hurt is unlike anything I've yet to read! Ms. Powell breaks the typical activity book barrier with a masterpiece much more personal. This book is what this generation needs: let's replace the tech and retrain the brain. A great read for parents, teachers, and people seeking out tools to reach the neglected and traumatized. -- Troy Skeen, Former Director and Founder of a Nationally Recognized Treatment Facility for Traumatized ChildrenThe book shows how particular activities contribute to healing the neurological and psychological damage that trauma has created. It also advises on helping children to problem-solve by acting out situations in real life. The questions at the end of each chapter are valuable for reflecting on what has been learnt and how to apply that; the personal experiences help reassurance and credibility, showing the impact of the activities in the real world. A useful book for teachers, therapists and parents which takes a refreshing new approach that can be utilised in many areas of childhood. -- Parents in Touch * Parents in Touch *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements. Introduction. Part 1: Trauma, Movement, Relationships and the Developing Brain. 1. How Traumatic Stress Creates Maladaptive but Self-Protective Brain States: or When Bad Things Happen to Small People. 2. How Movement, "Real World" Play and Non-Virtual Relationships Can Build Brains, Better Minds and Bolster Bonds: or What I Learned from Playing Sodom and Gomorrah with Barbie Dolls. 3. Creating the Structure of the Relationship to Help Hurting Children Heal. Part 2: Helping Children Heal through Real-World Experiences, Activities and Face-to-Face Human Contact. 4. Build the Foundation for Mature Character through Safety-Security-Protection-Trust Activities and Experiences. 5. Build Awareness of Self and Others through Proprioception Activities and Rhythmic Interactions. 6. Build Emotional Regulation and Self-Control so that the Power of the Will Can Strengthen. 7. Build Courage, Compassion and Higher Level Thinking through Problem-Solving Activities and Acts of Bravery. 8. Where Do We Go From Here? References. About the Author.

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Book SynopsisDON'T SAY A WORD is the empowering memoir of Kate Marshall, a mother-of-four from Manchester. Ripped from her many brothers and sisters at the age of eight, Kate's mother uproots her to a new life in which love and safety are not priorities. With little explanation, Kate is thrown into a world of chaos and neglect, a world which her Uncle Phil exploits through a campaign of shocking abuse over many years.The lessons Kate learns in those early years leave her extremely vulnerable and, while still a teenager, she marries an emotionally abusive, gaslighting fraudster, spending years in a controlled marriage punctuated by bulimia and a fierce desire to protect her beloved children. Finally finding the courage to leave, she seizes control of her own destiny by taking her paedophile uncle to court, where his guilt on all charges sees him finally brought to justice for what he has done. From that moment, Kate vows she will never again be the victim of those who chose to control and abuse her - that she will fight for herself and for others with every breath she has and will never be silenced again.

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Book Synopsis'Della's story is tragic, shocking and heart-breaking, but she must be heard. Della is an inspirational and dedicated campaigner who I've been proud to support. Her book eloquently portrays her past vulnerability and her steadfast determination to help others. A must read' Sarah Champion, MP'I'd been the unwanted child, the little girl who got in the way. I swore I'd put my abuser behind bars and I'd fight with every breath in my body against the life sentence he'd given me. This was my time.'Della Wright is an incredible campaigner for the rights of abuse victims after suffering a lifetime of betrayal.Left alone at home for the first time at only two years old by those tasked with her care, Della was let down first by social services. When known paedophile Terry Price entered her life when she was six, moving into her home, he would groom and sexually abuse her for the next five years. Even the sight of a little girl going to his probation meetings wasn't enough to make the authorities act.After a lifetime of violent relationships and mental health problems, Della eventually managed to put her childhood abuser behind bars for 22 years, a decade after first going to the police. He had changed his name multiple times to evade detection for his many crimes.As an ambassador for the Safeguarding Alliance, Della now campaigns to ensure offenders cannot slip through the net by giving themselves new identities. She has vowed to try and stop anyone experiencing the same neglect, betrayal and abuse she did.Trade Review'Della's story is tragic, shocking and heart-breaking, but she must be heard. Della is an inspirational and dedicated campaigner who I've been proud to support. Her book eloquently portrays her past vulnerability and her steadfast determination to help others. A must read' * Sarah Champion, MP *

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Book SynopsisThe decision whether or not to reunify a child in care with their birth family is one of the most serious taken by children's services, and often involves considerable risk.This book examines the long-term consequences of this decision for children who entered public care for abuse or neglect. It compares the experiences and progress of children who remained in care or returned to their birth families up to four years after the decision was taken. It covers how the decision is made, the factors taken into account when making it and provides important suggestions for effective decision-making. It compares the progress made by the children in relation to their safety, stability and emotional well-being. The book demonstrates that, contrary to common belief, long-term care can be a positive option for maltreated children.This book provides important messages for reunification policy and practice in relation to maltreated children. It will be essential reading for social work practitioners, researchers and policy makers.Trade ReviewOverall the book provides a useful read for EPs, particularly those who work specifically with looked after children. It reminds all involved in supporting children, young people and their families of the role they play in safeguarding. -- DebateThis is a well-written and well-presented book. It is useful for social workers, social work students and professionals working with young people in the public care system faced with making the decision of whether a child should remain looked after or returned home. -- PSWThe decision to return a child home after a period in care couldn't be more critical. If you want a comprehensive, evidence-based exploration of the issues and consequences of these life changing professional decisions, then this is a 'must read'. -- John Simmonds, Director of Policy, Research and Development, British Association for Adoption and FosteringTable of Contents1. Introduction. 2. Study Design. 3. The Children's Admission to Care. 4. The Effective Decision: How Children and Parents Were Getting On. 5. How the Effective Decision was Made: Planning and Outcome. 6. How the Effective Decision was Made: Experiences of Parents and Children. 7. Children's Experiences at Home and in Care: The First Six Months. 8. Placements and Stability at Follow-up. 9. Well-Being and Progress at Follow-up. 10. Exploring Well-Being at Follow-up. 11. Case Studies: From Admission to Follow-up. 12. Conclusion. Appendix A. A Global Outcome Measure of Child Well-Being. References. Index.

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Book SynopsisWith contributions from internationally recognized experts, this edited volume presents original thinking on the theory, research and practice surrounding child neglect.Comprehensive and current, the book takes an expansive look at how we can better address this prevalent issue. It explores the effects of neglect on the developing child and makes recommendations on how to identify neglect at the earliest opportunity. It considers common causal and contributing factors in neglect cases and the impact of these on children. The book details effective intervention techniques alongside case vignettes and shows how change can be achieved. It highlights the importance of supporting parental care and developing parental responsibility in families where children are neglected. Chapters provide in-depth descriptive examples and include a summary of learning points. Including practical suggestions for combating child neglect, this is an essential guide to best practice for students and practitioners working with children and families. The book also contains useful insights relevant to researchers and policy makers.Trade ReviewTackling child neglect is becoming a prominent political concern as its damaging lifelong effects are better evidenced, so this is a very timely book. It offers a comprehensive look at child neglect so there is something for everyone wanting to learn more about this topic. It covers the latest understanding of the incidence, causes and harmfulness of neglect, and it reports on several promising ways of tackling it. A valuable addition to the literature. -- Professor Eileen MunroIn this excellent book, Ruth Gardner has brought together a number of leading international experts in the business of recognising and understanding, assessing and dealing with neglect. We hear of the latest research on what causes and sustains neglect. We are introduced to some imaginative and engaging ways of assessing neglect that actively and therapeutically involve the parents themselves... This is a book full of sound thinking and original ideas. I defy anyone who reads this compilation not to come away feeling even more inspired, enthused and yes, even optimistic as they work with both the parents who neglect and the children who are neglected. -- From the foreword by David HoweTackling Child Neglect is an excellent and thought provoking book which critically re-examines the importance of neglect and its pernicious effect on the well-being and welfare of children and young people. The book comprises three main sections as authors present renewed and challenging commentary for the multi-professional audience in revisiting our understandings of neglect, various perspectives of neglect and international approaches on prevention. There are many salutary messages including a reminder of the significance of the chronic, negative impact of the lack of emotional availability of the child's care giver. The voices of children and young people are amplified in their understandings and experiences of neglect and this important focus should inform further research and improve practice in prevention and early help for children and their families. -- Claire Richards, National Centre for the Study and Prevention of Violence and Abuse and Chair of BASPCANTable of ContentsIntroduction. Ruth Gardner, University of East Anglia and NSPCC, UK. Part 1: The effects of child neglect: Understanding and responding. 1: The effects of emotional neglect in the first two years of life. Jane Barlow, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, UK. 2: Child neglect and the development of communication. Jan McAllister, University of East Anglia, UK and Wendy Lee, The Communication Trust, UK. 3: Making a difference to the neglected child's lived experience. Jan Horwath, Sheffield University, UK. Part Two: Perspectives on child neglect. 4: Child neglect, the research landscape. Debra Allnock, University of Bedfordshire, UK. 5: Learning from children and young people about neglect. Sarah Gorin, Consultant Researcher, UK. 6: General Practitioners' responses to child neglect. Jenny Woodman, General Practitioner, UK. 7: Responding to child neglect: Learning from Serious Case Reviews. Marian Brandon and Pippa Belderson,University of East Anglia, UK. Part Three: Preventing and reversing child neglect: An international picture. 8: 'What happens?' and 'what works?' with Sign of Safety. Amanda Bunn, Freelance Research Consultant and Practitioner, UK, Leigh Taylor, Senior Practitioner, Edinburgh, UK, Dan Koziolek, Carver County Community Social Services (CCCSS), Minnesota, USA and Andrew Turnell, Director, Signs of Safety ®, Australia. 9: Practices targeting child neglect: The use of SafeCare® to enhance parenting skills to reduce neglect. Whitney L. Rostad, Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development, Georgia State University, USA, John R. Lutzker, Director, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA and Katelyn M. Guastaferro, The Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, USA. With a note on the UK evaluation of SafeCare by Gillian Churchill. 10: Video Interaction Guidance: Providing an effective response for neglected children. Hilary Kennedy, Director, Video Interaction Guidance, UK, Maeve Macdonald, Educational Psychologist and Paul Whalley, NSPCC, UK.

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Book SynopsisChildren need to be able to disclose their experiences of sexual abuse in order to stop the abuse and get help. Practical and accessible, this book offers guidance on how professionals can identify potential abuse cases and create safe opportunities for children to talk about sexual abuse. The book explores challenges in facilitating and responding to disclosures of abuse, such as: how to recognise the signs, ask the right questions and react to a disclosure. It also draws on research carried out with children who have experienced sexual abuse, to convey how experiences of disclosure feel to those making them and what informs a decision to tell or not tell. Helping Children to Tell About Sexual Abuse will be suitable for any professional working with a child or young person, including social workers, psychologists, child/family therapists, health care workers, school nurses, school counsellors, health visitors, police and youth workers.Trade ReviewFor too long we have failed to recognise the early warning signs that a child may be sexually abused, placing the onus on the child to 'disclose' their experience of sexual abuse, rather than on the practitioner to recognise the signs that the abuse is occurring. This book helps us to challenge these failures, to better understand the nature of child sexual abuse and to help children explain what has happened to them. It is essential reading for all those working to protect children from sexual abuse. -- Jenny Pearce, Professor of Young People and Public Policy, University of BedfordshireThis highly accessible and practical book not only focuses on enhancing awareness of CSA, but most importantly how to facilitate conversations with children to help them disclose and talk about abuse, and how to respond effectively. Key messages at the end of each chapter and the focus on personal qualities of professionals that help promote trust in children that have been betrayed, are invaluable in helping all those working with children and young people to provide a non-judgemental and respectful environment in which children can break the silence, secrecy and shame of abuse. This book is a welcome addition to understanding CSA and an indispensable tool for all those working with children and who are committed to giving them a voice. -- Christiane Sanderson, Author of 'Counselling Skills for Working with Shame' and 'Counselling Skills for Working with Trauma'Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction. Chapter 2: Child sexual abuse and its impact. Chapter 3: Containing the secret. What we know about child abuse disclosure. Chapter 4: Believing children. Chapter 5: Recognising the signs. Chapter 6: Asking questions. Chapter 7: Understanding self-blame and shame. Chapter 8: Helping friends tell. Chapter 9: After first disclosure.

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Book SynopsisTaken over a period of two to three years, this work presents accounts of children, as adults themselves and in their own words, of a childhood blighted by the violation and horror of sexual abuse at the hands of a member of the Catholic clergy.

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Book SynopsisBorn into poverty and violence, Lora's early life was one of extreme vulnerability. She was prostituted for the first time at the age of nine and suffered unspeakable treatment from those who should have protected her. Early trauma led to her institutionalization soon after she started college, an incarceration she would not have survived but for a courageous nurse who fought for her release. Fifty years later, with an advanced degree in clinical psychology, a long career as a successful mental health professional, a leading educator and sought-after public speaker, Lora revisited the grounds of the Illinois state mental hospital where she was once kept in inhumane, degrading, and life-threatening circumstances. This profound and compelling memoir traces her life as a survivor of child abuse, sex trafficking, illegal pharmacological drug research, and institutional abuse. Lora's experiences illuminate and validate the power of love and the strength of the indomitable human spirit that lives within each one of us. This is her story.

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Book SynopsisLooks at the social problems encountered by those involved in the adoption and fostering of children who have been sexually abused. This book includes chapters on recognizing the signs of sexual abuse, helping children talk about their experiences and support services available.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisIn 1992, Kevin Annett an ordained minister with the United Church of Canada in Port Alberni on British Columbia's Vancouver Island a logging town half populated with native Indians, discovered a history of abuse and atrocities ranging from torture sodomy and rape to murder suggesting genocide among the native children in the church's residential school which had taken place for more than a century. It later was revealed that such was the case in more than 140 schools run by the major churches with the complicity of the Canadian government. Refusing to remain silent he was defrocked by his Presbytery. For 15 years he has conducted a one man campaign for justice and the revision of colonial laws for a race of subjugated people.

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Book SynopsisThe sexual abuse of a child creates a devastating family crisis. Parents want to know what to do and say to help their child, both immediately and in the long term. This book offers guidance for parents who face the days and months after a child's abuse. It discusses each stage of a child's recovery.Table of ContentsIntroduction Notes on Using this Book Acknowledgments 1. Right Away. . . "I believe you." 2. The Legal System. . . "They'll be asking a lot of questions." 3. Family and Friends' Responses. . . "She cares, she just doesn't understand." 4. Children's Reactions and Everyday Life. . . "It's okay to be angry." 5. Grieving. . . "I'm crying, but I can still take care of you." 6. Rebuilding Self-Esteem. . . "It wasn't your fault." 7. Sexuality. . . "You are still lovable." 8. Self-Protection. . . "Never Again." 9. As Children Grow. . . "We'll need to talk again." 10. Moving on. . . "It's better now." Selected Resources What is Sexual Abuse? Offender Information: "How could he?"

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Book SynopsisThrough an intensive clinical study of 40 incest victims and numerous interviews with professionals in mental health, child protection, and law enforcement, Herman develops a composite picture of the incestuous family. In a new afterword, she offers an overview of knowledge that has developed about sexual abuse since this book was first published.Trade ReviewThere is much to commend in the book. It is gracefully written and reviews a wide literature ranging from the scientific to the pornographic and from fairy tales to the Bible...The author presents practical and helpful suggestions on how best to approach a family facing the problem of incest, the methods of strengthening the mother's position and improving the mother-daughter relationship, necessary steps to protect the victim from further physical and psychological harm, and ways of prosecuting or treating the father. There is also useful advice on psychotherapy of grownup incest victims and a discussion of the countertransference feelings in male and female therapists that are most likely to interfere with treatment or to make it detrimental. -- Vera Frances, M.S. * Family Process *A timely book of striking humanistic political and theoretical significance...I also find Herman's book an eloquent expression of feminist concerns about the oppression and sexual exploitation of woman at her most vulnerable stage of development. It is indeed Herman's trenchant feminist analysis that makes this book not just another research report, but rather a profound critique of female socialization in this society...This book is written in a clear, scholarly, and highly readable style. Although the book's message is passionate, the author maintains a measure of objectivity. She avoids harangues or polemics and relies on facts and observations in organizing a convincing presentation. I found this to be an absorbing, thought-provoking book which deserves to attract a wide readership among mental health professionals and the lay public. -- Sophie Freud Loewenstein, Ph.D. * Review of Psychoanalytic Books *Father-Daughter Incest is an exciting addition to the growing literature of child sexual abuse. It offers the best hope to date of appealing to a broad range of clinical professionals who have not yet examined the current rediscovery of incest. The book is startling, sobering, challenging, and in many ways inspiring. Most important, it is compatible; it is considerate of the needs, fears, and vulnerabilities of readers across the entire spectrum, from those who have experienced incest to those who would deal with it professionally....[It] is a fascinating, profoundly moving clinical and cultural expedition into the heartland of incest. -- Roland C. Summit * Readings *The book is evenhanded, logical, well researched, and thoroughly gripping. It may have taken a while to get to, but it was truly hard to put down...Herman's thesis [is] that incest is the furthermost extension of male domination in a patriarchal society whose men do not share equally in child raising...The bulk of Dr. Herman's book, apart from her considerable historical analysis, is an anecdotal and statistical study of 40 incest victims and their families. She compares these families with 40 families in which the father had been merely seductive...In summary, this is an excellent book that weaves together theory with the very practical therapeutic guidelines. Most fascinating is the way Dr. Herman brings to life the family dynamics of an incestuous family. In the end, the family members take on a mythic quality, like characters in a Grimm's fairy tale. Father-Daughter Incest should be required reading for anyone treating a victim of incest. -- Judith Blitman, M.D. * American Journal of Psychiatry *Herman's work is valuable to everyone who has been the victim of such incest because it offers help; it is valuable to those whose families are shattered by its occurrence because it offers a means for reconciliation, and it is valuable to specialists who seek to assist their victim-clients. * Los Angeles Times *Herman's rethinking of incest is profoundly, passionately feminist...Her book, the result of years of psychiatric work with incest victims, is undeniably painful, but it is also full of hope. * Mother Jones *In a well-researched and readable book, Judith Herman--an American psychiatrist--presents a clear and compelling feminist analysis of father-daughter incest. -- Maryon Tysoe * New Society *Judith Lewis Herman's fine book is one of the most important contributions to psychiatric knowledge of the last decade...As an exemplary model of feminist scholarship, [it] is a rigorous sociopsychological reconceptualization of our clinical assumptions about incest...Herman offers a sophisticated, detailed, and clinically relevant discussion of treatment and issues for victims and their families...Father-Daughter Incest is an eloquent, illuminating, and empathic analysis of an extraordinarily complex and troubling phenomenon. It should be required reading for all mental health professionals and trainees. -- Elaine Carment, M.D. * Contemporary Psychiatry *This is an extremely readable survey of father-daughter incest today. The author describes the incestuous family from several points of view, including the dynamics typical of the incest family, and of the seductive father family; the traditional values of American society that promote the possibility of abusive family conduct; the political structure of our society that fails to assist the victim and favors the perpetrator; and the legal-enforcement-treatment system, which is too heavily funded or prepared to work with incest/seductive families...The comprehensiveness of the book, and the well thought out presentation, make this one of the most thorough pieces of literature on the subject...The subject matter, statistics and legal information is accurate and well presented for easy reference. This book should be mandatory reading for any professional or paraprofessional who works with women, children and families. -- Nora J. Baladerian, M.A. * Journal of Sex Education and Therapy *Table of ContentsPreface Author's Note, 2000: In Memory of Lisa Hirschman Introduction: Cinderella or Saint Dympna PART 1: The Incest Secret 1. A Common Occurrence 2. The Question of Harm 3. The Question of Blame 4. The Rule of the Father PART 2: Daughter's Lives 5. Incestuous Fathers and Their Families 6. The Daughter's Inheritance 7. Seductive Fathers and Their Families PART 3: Breaking Secrecy 8. The Crisis of Disclosure 9. Restoring Families 10. Criminal Justice 11. Remedies for Victims 12. Preventing Sexual Abuse Afterword, 2000: Understanding Incest Twenty Years Later Appendix: The Incest Statutes, by Leigh Beinen Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA true story of resilience, survival and achievement, and a heartbreaking tale of a father's complicity in his own family's disintegration.In Yorkshire in the 1950s, Suz Evasdaughter, aged just 5, is moved to a children's home with her brothers. Confused, little Suz begins to blame herself for her mother's death. Her father eventually brings them back, but instead of finding a safe haven to rebuild their family, Suz finds herself plunged into a life of misery at the mercy of an uncaring and brutal stepmother.Unwanted tells the story of Suz's struggle to escape from her broken home and leave her fractured past behind her. But lurking in the shadows is a dark family secret...

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Book SynopsisThe true story of 2 year-old Anna, abandoned by her natural parents, left alone in a neglected orphanage.

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Book Synopsis

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