Developments in the understanding and psychotherapeutic treatment of children and adolescents suffering from psychotic levels of disturbance are dealt with in this work, from the Tavistock Clinic Series. The book is chiefly concerned with children troubled in their behaviour, relationships, and communication.There is something extremely unsettling about the disturbed behaviour of sexually abused and severely troubled children. In spite of a sometimes exasperating measure of perversion and destructive wilfulness, these children manage to communicate a clear plea for help - a plea which deeply affects those in their immediate surroundings who find themselves struggling to make sense of these contradictory messages. This book describes significant new developments in the understanding and treatment of children and adolescents suffering from psychotic levels of disturbance.Each chapter contains a clinical description of a child emerging from a psychotic state, creating a useful collection of case histories. Part One concerns sexually abused children, Part Two discusses psychotic children with severe developmental delay, and Part Three describes the treatment of children whose difficulties have both internal and external roots. Each part is followed by an authoritative critical commentary. A glossary of terms is included at the end of the book.