Praise for the first edition of Child Abuse includes: This is a well written, comprehensive and informative book. - Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare. The format is clear, the size compact, and the text comprehensive, making this an invaluable reference volume for teaching libraries and anyone with a specific interest in the subject. - Child Health. ...a book which social work students interested in child care and family work, and students on post-qualifying child protection courses, will want to have by them for constant reference. - Issues in Social Work Education. The revised edition of this bestselling text provides a concise but comprehensive introduction to a wide range of knowledge which is of crucial importance to students and practitioners in the child protection field. It stresses the need to understand child abuse in a historical, social and political context, and critically reviews a wide range of relevant contemporary research in Britain, the USA and Europe. While maintaining the strengths of the original book, this second edition incorporates a wealth of new material. It provides a full account of policy developments in Britain since the early 1990s, including the emerging concerns about the extent and nature of institutional abuse, and the shift towards more preventive, family supportive approaches to child protection work. New research on the consequences of child abuse and on practice initiatives in both Britain and the USA are also included. Child Abuse: Towards a Knowledge Base is recommended reading for practitioners and students who are working, or intending to work in the child protection field.