Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect (6th Edition) [Paperback]

Cynthia Crosson-Tower (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2004 | ISBN-10: 020540183X | ISBN-13: 978-0205401833 | Edition: 6

This best-selling text offers a comprehensive look at child maltreatment, incorporating history, case vignettes, and the author's own experience as a child protection worker. The author covers the history of child welfare, gives an overview of functional and dysfunctional families, and contrasts healthy child development with development hampered by abuse and neglect. Child Abuse and Neglect explains case management procedures and focuses on how various professionals become involved in the child protection process and how treatment is undertaken. The text concludes with a discussion of prevention and a consideration of the future.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Here's what the reviewers are saying...

 

“I found the Crosson-Tower text to be superior in both breadth and depth of the topics covered. Combined with the positive responses I have received from my students I would not consider using any other text.”

— William M. McGuigan, Pennsylvania State University

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

This best-selling text offers a comprehensive look at child maltreatment, incorporating history, case vignettes, and the author's own experience as a child protection worker.

Highlights of the Sixth Edition

• More emphasis on abuse by clergy, particularly the recent crisis in the Roman Catholic Church.
• Current research and new material update sections relating to reporting laws and using multidisciplinary teams for intervention and treatment.
• Expanded material on ritualistic abuse, children witnessing domestic violence, and adolescent sex offenders.
• Real-life case vignettes throughout the book introduces students to real people with real needs.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 6 edition (July 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 020540183X
• ISBN-13: 978-0205401833
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive yes, up-to-date no..., March 18, 2004

By 

Holden (Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect (5th Edition) (Paperback)

I agree that this is a very comprehensive text, presented in an easy-to-follow style. Chapters are logically laid out and interesting for the student of the subject.

However,(and this is a big however) this edition does not seem to be very updated for practice in 2004. It also is very American, so the sections on law have less applicablity for Canadian students.

Some examples of dated information can be found on page 238, which talks of the use of anotomically correct dolls for child interviews. The use of these dolls (in Canadian child welfare anyway) peaked in the early 1990's. Dolls are generally seen in the field as leading and interviews that still use them would be questionable in court.

Also on page 238, there are some interviewing tips that could be seen as somewhat leading. Page 216, makes passing reference to the "emergence of ritual abuse". Ritual abuse actually emerged in the 1980's and early 1990's and is not accepted as widespread, as originally had been thought. The ritual abuse panic of that period is a bit of an embarrassment for the field.

Since the late 1990's there has been a re-definition of practice in child protection (within Canada and in parts of the USA) that has re-focused child welfare on early intervention, early planning and permanency for children. This is in contrast to earlier attempts at family preservation at-all-costs and foster care drift. I think that this text book, although well written, has not been fully updated in this fifth edition. I see 1989 as the first edition date and 1993 as the second edition. I would hazard a guess that this text was very current in 1989 and 1993.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great text!, February 19, 2006

By 

Texas Psychologist (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect (6th Edition) (Paperback)

Crossan-Towers is a fabulous introduction to child abuse and neglect for undergraduates and graduates students alike.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars child abuse, July 23, 2010

By 

Cheryl Ruff - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect (6th Edition) (Paperback)

This is an excellent read for students and people who are just interested in the dynamics of the field of child abuse. It's very thoughtful, full of experience and expertise in all aspects of the subject matter.