Child Maltreatment 3E: A Clinical Guide

This edition of Child Maltreatment builds on the terrific start provided by James Monteleone with an expansion that is up-to-date, complete, and provides the best available information from an extraordinary group of contributors. It is a “must,” not only for specialists in the field of child abuse and neglect, but for all health professionals who provide care to children.

Angelo Giardino, Randy Alexander, and their interdisciplinary team of colleagues have continued to improve on an already exceptional collection of essays focused on the nature, extent and seriousness of child maltreatment in the United States and other economically advanced countries. In addition to providing the reader with a deep understanding of the complex forces that contribute to child maltreatment, the two-volume set offers clinicians and policy makers state-of-the-art guidance in preventing and caring for children who become victims of abuse and neglect. Giardino, Alexander, and their colleagues are to be congratulated for their pioneering contributions in helping to halt the current epidemic of child maltreatment cases.

Whether in an intensive care unit caring for a child abuse victim, providing training, or testifying as an expert witness, there is one resource that I know I can cite as a reliable reference, and that is Child Maltreatment. This is the most outstanding text of its kind and provides a complete review with relevant references on all aspects of the medical diagnosis and treatment of child abuse and neglect. I recommend Child Maltreatment to all members of an investigative multidisciplinary team and consider it a mandatory resource in any medical, social science, or criminal justice library.

This third edition of Child Maltreatment includes the very latest in research and clinical issues related to the injury and exploitation of children. The editors have gathered the best and the brightest authors in the field to write the chapters, and the volumes contain essential knowledge for students and clinicians. It is designed to be a reference and resource for all agencies that assist and manage child maltreatment issues.

This publication presents a comprehensive look at the issues involved in cases of child maltreatment, emphasizing the contemporary importance of this subject and reviewing the multidisciplinary techniques for forensically detecting and addressing the needs of victims of such maltreatment. The text provides professionals in the fields of law, social science, and the healthcare industry with invaluable source materials when confronted with suspected child maltreatment.

We’ve found Child Maltreatment really effective and worthwhile in juvenile investigations of crimes against children. The extensive photographs are very helpful in identifying abusive injuries of children. We have been able to educate ourselves well on the topic of child abuse.

As a coroner and a manager of the child death review teams in our area, I’ve found the Child Maltreatment very helpful in examining and identifying cases of child abuse and neglect. The material presented will also prove useful in training other coroners to handle similar cases.

The third edition of Child Maltreatment should be an excellent resource for a wide range of professionals and caregivers, including those in pediatrics, family medicine, emergency medicine, psychiatry psychology, nursing, social service, law and law enforcement, education, and public health. These volumes should help first responders in diagnosis and management. The accompanying Photographic Reference volume is an excellent complement to the Clinical Guide and Reference volume. The Clinical Guide and Reference has 70 new contributors and exemplifies the multidisciplinary team approach to maltreatment. New material includes risks to children from Internet use, intimate partner violence, risks found in faith-based settings, preparing a case for court, preparing to be an expert witness, education of clinicians about child maltreatment, and research needs. The 42 chapters are divided among seven sections

… The “Physical Maltreatment” section begins with clear definitions of child maltreatment, its epidemiology, and the major changes in management since it was first brought to the attention of clinicians and legislators by C. Henry Kempe, MD, in 1962.

… Defining neglect has been difficult and controversial. The authors of the chapter “Neglect and Abandonment” usefully provide a clear definition. The “Sexual Abuse” section gives a good overview, followed by helpful chapters on interviewing, … medical examination, and sexually transmitted diseases.

… Chapter 35, which discusses the multiagency child fatality review team, including its historical development, should be read by all health care professionals.

… The two volumes belong in libraries of medicine, nursing, law, and social work. They are a useful resource for professionals who deal with children and their families and a valuable contribution to the field of child maltreatment and neglect.

As an expert witness in a recent child-abuse litigation case, it provided me with a wealth of information on … early child development.

4 Stars **** from Doody’s
This two-volume encyclopedic reference, made up of a textbook and photographic atlas, cover the full gamut of child abuse and neglect in text, illustrations, and photographs. This 3rd edition represents a substantial revision with significant additions and expansions.

The aim is to provide a single comprehensive resource for multidisciplinary professionals responding to child maltreatment. This edition achieves this lofty objective very impressively.

The book is rooted in its previous editions as a healthcare professional reference, but with this edition emerges as a strong, authoritative, multidisciplinary professional reference. Recognized authorities from all disciplines author their respective components. All disciplines will benefit, including medicine, nursing, mental health, social work, law enforcement, legal, and researchers. All levels from student to practitioner are addressed.

This book is encyclopedic and leaves no child maltreatment issue untouched from etiology to manifestation to intervention and prevention. The previous editions’ strengths of depicting in word and image how to diagnose child abuse has been vastly enhanced with improved text, case studies, illustrations, sample worksheets and forms, and numerous photographs. The one shortcoming of this book is the frequent overlap and repetition of definitions and basic practice tenets among the different disciplines’ chapters. This shortcoming is mitigated if viewed as making the chapter more complete when read in isolation.

This book provides compelling evidence that child maltreatment is pervasive and has ramifications for all members of society. It elaborates a contemporary model response from many points of view. As such, I believe this book should be in the library of all professionals who interact with children. It is an especially valuable resource for professionals who are charged with responding to child maltreatment.

GW Medical Publishing (now STM Learning) titles, especially Child Maltreatment, have played essential roles in law enforcement investigations. Every child abuse investigator and prosecutor should have them.