This exciting new book offers a survey of the field of child abuse and neglect from the perspective of modern developmental attachment theory. The book opens with an account of the theory and describes the ways in which attachment difficulties manifest themselves in children's behaviour. The following three sections look at abuse, neglect, and compound cases of abuse and neglect, backing this up with empirical research evidence and vivid case material. The final section provides a comprehensive review of attachment-based interventions. This is a clear and compelling textbook, anchored in research evidence and geared in its structure to answer the kinds of questions practitioners and student practitioners specialising in child welfare are most likely to ask.

Table of Contents

Preface; Part I: Emotions, Attachment And The Psychological Self; Developing Minds in the Context of Close Relationships; Emotions and Mind-Mindedness; Patterns of Attachment; Defensive Processes, Attachment and Maltreatment; Part II: Abuse; Physical Child Abuse; Psychological Maltreatment: Emotional Abuse, Neglect and Rejection; Part III: Neglect; Disorganised Neglect; Depressed, Passive and Physical Neglect; Severe Deprivation and Chronic Neglect Including Institutionalised Care; Part IV: Compound Cases Of Abuse And Neglect; Physical Abuse and Neglect; Drugs, Depression and Domestic Violence; Child Sexual Abuse; Part V: Interventions; Parent-Infant and Young Child Interventions; Interventions with Pre-School and School-Age Children; Interventions with Adolescents, Adults and Parents; Epilogue; References; Author Index; Subject Index

About the Author

Professor DAVID HOWE works in the Centre for Research on the Child and Family at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. He has research, writing and teaching interests in child abuse and neglect, adoption, and children's development, and was founding editor of the Blackwell Science journal, Child and Family Social Work (1996-2001). Other publications include On Being a Client: Understanding the Process of Counselling & Psychotherapy (Sage, 1993), Introduction to Social Work Theory: Making Sense in Practice (Avebury, 1987, and still selling) and Adopters on Adoption