346 Book Reviews

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Child Abuse Review Vol. 16: 345–347 (2007)DOI: 10.1002/car

welfare systems—and the book gives abundant evidence that thisis so—speaking of these issues risks feeding into these discourses.Nonetheless, there is a risk that the authors’ passionately andpersuasively argued messages will be dismissed if practitionersbelieve that the realities of their practice experiences have not beenrecognised.

Overall, this book succeeds very well in making a complexset of ideas about best practice with mothers affected by domesticviolence accessible to an audience of welfare professionals, serviceproviders and policy makers. I have highly recommended it tostudents when reflecting on and writing about their professionalpractice with domestic violence and would encourage others work-ing in this field to read it too.

References

Bancroft L, Silverman J. 2002. The Batterer as Parent: Addressing the Impact ofDomestic Violence on Family Dynamics. Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA.

Peled E. 2000. Parenting by men who abuse women: Issues and dilemmas.British Journal of Social Work 30: 25–26.

Anna FairtloughLecturer in Social Work

Goldsmiths, University of LondonPublished online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/car.997

Child Abuse: Towards a Knowledge Base (3rd ed) by BrianCorby, Open University Press, Maidenhead, 2006. 300pp. ISBN 13-978-0-335-21764-9 (Hbk) £65.00; ISBN 13-978-0-335-21763-2(Pbk), £23.99

This is not an objective review, nor of necessity can it be. BrianCorby died in January 2007. Our careers in social work ran in un-canny parallel. In 1970, we were both appointed at the same timeas child care officers in what was then Derby City’s Children’sDepartment. We became, and remained, good friends. Although wewent on to live in different parts of the country, in turn we eachbecame senior social workers, then university lecturers beforefinally gaining professorships in social work. However, intellectu-ally we were different animals. Brian, trained in the classics,remained enviably grounded in the day-to-day business of front-line practice. This third edition of his highly successful book onchild abuse was published only a month or so before his death. ChildAbuse reflects his practical, empirical, deeply committed approachto working with and writing about child abuse and neglect.

Book Reviews 347

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Child Abuse Review Vol. 16: 345–347 (2007)DOI: 10.1002/car

The aim and philosophy of the current edition are the same asthat of the earlier volumes—to introduce the reader to child abuseand neglect in their historical, social, psychological, policy andpolitical context. The excellent opening chapters on the history ofchild maltreatment are updated with new research and reflections.This long view helps us to keep our bearings in a field that all tooeasily finds itself buffeted by panic, ideology and fashionable con-cerns. The historical chapters are followed by measured examina-tions of the perennially vexed issue of definitions, prevalenceand incidence, particularly as they affect clinical focus, policyand practice. Neat and critical summaries are then given of themany social and psychological theories now available to helppractitioners understand and work with child abuse and neglect. Ourknowledge of the long-term effects of child maltreatment expandsyear on year. Brian uses this material along with his review ofinterventions and their effectiveness to argue for a shift of resourcesaway from detection, investigation and statutory reaction to preven-tion and support of children and families in need. As well as updat-ing the book’s solid, proven base, new material on gender, race,child trafficking, the impact of war on children, child asylum seek-ers, the commercial sexual exploitation of children, and the abuseof children on the internet have been added. The inclusion of thiscontemporary material is a helpful but sad reminder that those whoabuse children continue to find dark spaces in the fast evolvingsocial, economic and technological landscapes of the modern world.We must be vigilant; we have to remain wise.

Health and welfare practitioners, whether old hands or new,will find that Child Abuse offers a comprehensive, extensive,thoughtful introduction to an ever-expanding subject. Throughout,Brian challenges us to keep the children and their needs central toour practice. Although recognising the need for legislation and clearprocedures, he ends by making a plea for more therapeutic workto equal the push for an increase in preventive practices. Thepsychological pain and damage caused by abuse and neglectneed addressing every bit as much as their structural causes andcriminal character. The book eloquently captures Brian’s manyvirtues—even-handed, fair, scholarly, considered, logical andabove all caring and compassionate. It is a fitting testament to hisprofessional life. He will be greatly missed.

David HoweProfessor of Social Work

University of East Anglia, NorwichPublished online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/car.998

‘Chapters on thehistory of childmaltreatment areupdated with newresearch andreflections’

‘Offers acomprehensive,extensive,thoughtfulintroduction to anever-expandingsubject’