Violence of any kind is hard for most people to understand, but crimes against children and crimes committed by children are perhaps the most difficult to comprehend. Child abuse and neglect is a problem with generational effects. Women who were sexually abused in childhood, for example, are more likely than non-abused women to be harsh with their children, withhold affection, or even accept the sexual abuse of their own children by a spouse or lover. Yet children are not always merely the victims of aggression. They also perpetrate violent crimes in the form of bullying, assault, and homicide, as well as crimes on property, such as vandalism. Moffatt addresses the two sides of this cycle of violence, including examples from clinical case studies and treatment options. Moffatt details crimes against children, ranging from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, sexual and physical abuse, neglect, filicide, and infanticide. He addresses aggression committed by children against other people, property, and self, including self-mutilation and suicide. Written for both professional and lay audiences, counselors, teachers, psychologists, law enforcement, medical professionals, and therapists will benefit from the psychological discussions about causes and effects of aggression.

Case studies show how various personal, social, and protective factors can override seemingly unbearable trauma. Rather than addressing what goes wrong when people are traumatized, Survivors: What We Can Learn from How They Cope with Horrific Tragedy takes a positivist approach. Filled with stories of people who overcame seemingly unbearable events, the book examines the details of their traumas to explain what combination of factors enabled them to thrive despite their experiences. Survivors studies men and women, adults and children, Americans and those from other lands. It encompasses victims of the Nazi Holocaust, survivors of spinal injury, victims of violent crime, adult victims of child abuse, and survivors of the Rwandan genocide. Author Gregory K. Moffatt, a psychologist and counselor, looks at all of these cases in the light of research regarding post-traumatic growth and clinical implications. He explains the combination of social context and protective and personal factors identified as prime agencies for resilience, drawing lessons that can prepare us, not only for extreme trauma, but to deal with the everyday traumas that affect us all.

Violence and increasing public awareness of violence mark society's contemporary condition. Sept. 11, 2001 made this condition even more indelible. Cultural Shaping of Violence proposes that violence cannot be described, let alone understond or addressed, unless tied to the cultural settings that influence it. The book's 27 chapters, researched and written by 28 scholars of seven nationalities, document violence in 22 distinct cultural settings in 17 nation-states on five continents. Internal to each society, a number of sites of violence may thrive, from the domestic sphere to social institutions and political arenas. In whatever site or guise, violence reverberates throughout the social fabric and beyond.

There are few things is our society that provoke such raw emotions as that of child abuse. Most people, justifiably so, are outraged when they hear of allegations of abuse, and their anger is intensified as they learn of what seems to be an inappropriate criminal justice response. However, the debate on child abuse usually happens though visceral emotions rather than facts. Taking emotions out of a child abuse debate is much easier said than done, but it is of utmost importance to identify the facts. When the reader has a better understanding of the scope of child abuse, they can become more objective but still maintain their passion about ways to protect this vulnerable and targeted population. Child Abuse, Child Exploitation, and Criminal Justice Responses is unique in that it offers the reader contributing facts based not only through scholarly research, but practical experience working in field, from this wonderful collaboration of criminal investigator and forensic nurse. Thus providing much personal insight and demonstrating how these two areas of expertise can join forces to achieve the objective of working as a team to facilitate safeguarding children. The authors also presents the research on this complex yet worthy topic by identifying the unique challenges of investigating these offenses while ultimately bringing the perpetrators to justice, and presenting the research from various perspectives of child abuse including both national and international issues and responses.

This work is an important new edition of a classic study—one of the few exhaustive examinations of childhood sexual abuse available—with 40 percent new material. Even though it is as old as human history, child sexual abuse has generally remained a dark and well-hidden secret. Only in the last few decades has it become a topic of open public debate and scientific research, and we still have more questions than answers. How often are accusations of sexual abuse legitimate, and how often are they the result of false memories? Can sexual offenders be cured, or will they ultimately re-offend? These are only a few of the difficult questions this volume seeks to answer. Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Reference Handbook explores the many ways we define child sexual abuse in the United States and in different parts of the world and how those differences are represented in U.S. and international laws. It summarizes what we know about how to intervene, treat, and prevent childhood sexual abuse effectively and tells the stories of individuals who have had a dramatic effect on the handling of childhood sexual abuse. For students, social workers, teachers, policymakers, parents, and concerned citizens, this work offers a one-stop, multifaceted discussion of one of the major issues facing children and their families.

Throughout U.S. history, attitudes toward young people have vacillated between fear of and fear for. These attitudes impact social programs for youth, including the system of juvenile justice. Attitudes are shaped by the socio-political and cultural cliimate of the times, and can be traced back to colonial times. However, changing mores and values often create confusion and conflict, resulting in ineffective strategies for preventing and responding to juvenile delinquency. Tracing the history of juvenile justice back to the pre-colonial era through the present day, Finley sheds light on just how we arrived where we are in terms of juvenile justice. She connects the competing attitudes about young people to the social, economic, and political changes of a given era, and offers recommendations for establishing more effective and more humane policies toward juveniles in the justice system. Early America is known for its harsh treatment of young people, most notably, the stubborn child laws, which authorized use of the death penalty for children who defied their parents. Yet, even then, many people held more nurturing attitudes toward youth. Thus originated the mixed messages in the U.S. regarding juvenile delinquency and the hodgepodge of approaches that follow. The establishment of the juvenile justice system, founded on the concept of parens patriae, or the state as parent, would seem to have settled the debate over how juvenile offenders should be treated. In reality, however, there remains much controversy over how best to handle juvenile offenders, especially those who commit the most serious offenses. While some still maintain juveniles are developmentally different and should be treated in ways consistent with these differences, others are dismayed at what they feel to be a system that is too lenient and that leads to higher juvenile crime rates and more serious offenses. With the advent of three strikes laws, curfew laws, boot camps, and referring juveniles to adult courts, and subsequently assigning them to adult prisons, many question just how we got to this place in juvenile justice. Here, Finley offers the history behind the controversial goals and development of the juvenile justice system, providing detailed descriptions of the major trends in juvenile justice. Addressing the most current aspects of the controversy, she also sheds light on issues of race, social class, and gender. Offering recommendations for addressing the weaknesses and confusion in the system, Finley offers a unique and compelling perspective on controversial subject.

A father of three and long-time child psychologist, author Gregory Moffatt offers information on dozens of topics couples will face as they make the decision to conceive and take on the most challenging and rewarding role of their lives: parenthood. Each chapter is divided into psychological, social/emotional, and physical developments at the stage being discussed. Topics range from deciding to conceive and potential problems, to anticipating the developments and challenges for adolescents from age 13 to 18. Included are illustrative vignettes from Moffatt's experience as a child therapist, as a university teacher, and as a father. An extensive bibliography is included to assist readers seeking additional information on a particular topic. The author emphasizes the importance of commitment in parenting and the need for parents to invest themselves thoughtfully in the raising of their children. Topics include the development of self-esteem, the importance of play, imaginary playmates, language development, teaching consequences, and developing discipline.