The new edition also summarizes the burgeoning multi-disciplinary scholarly literature on the physical and sexual abuse of children, including less-explored topics such as child neglect, "emotional" child maltreatment, and institutional abuse.
Among the recent trends highlighted are:
-- shifting federal government priorities for family preservation and permanency planning;
-- the increasing criminalization of more serious maltreatment cases;
-- improved investigative coordination between social welfare and criminal justice agencies;
-- expanded use of mediation in juvenile courts;
-- the rise of child exploitation through the Internet;
-- use of post-partum depression and other "syndrome" defenses in the courtroom; and
-- latest research findings on the causes, treatment and prevention of child maltreatment.
