Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect, 10th edition

Published by Pearson (January 11, 2020) © 2021
Cynthia Crosson-Tower

Title overview

For courses in child welfare.

A comprehensive look at child maltreatment

Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect presents an all-encompassing view of child maltreatment, in its various guises. Author Cynthia Crosson-Tower covers the symptoms of abuse and neglect, and the motivations of those who abuse and neglect children, as well as how the social services system intervenes. The text gives readers a sense of what it is like to serve children in various agency settings, and prepares future professionals to better intervene and treat at-risk children and families.

The 10th Edition offers reorganized chapters and a more in-depth look at collaborative intervention and case management.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Comprehensive coverage includes history, child development and intervention and treatment issues.
  • The many types of maltreatment are covered in detail. These include neglect and physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and emotional abuse
  • Real-life case vignettes throughout the text prepare students to work with the needs of real people. Accounts from clients who have received children's services give students a unique perspective on intervention and treatment.
  • Coverage ranges from supplemental to substitute services to show readers the full range of the least intrusive services (supplemental) to those that provide more comprehensive care and protection that the family may be unable to give (substitute).

New and updated features of this title

  • NEW: CSWE Core Competencies and Practice Behavior Examples have been added to the front matter to help readers identify where competencies and supporting practice examples are showcased in the text.
  • UPDATED: Content has been reorganized into 17 chapters, with the content of the previous Chapter 10 being separated into new Chapters 10 and 11. The full range of intervention, from reporting through case management, is now covered in Chapter 10. The role of other professionals, and the importance of collaboration, is now explored more fully in Chapter 11.
  • UPDATED: More attention is given to the importance of understanding cultural variations when working with clients. Chapter 2 on families includes a look at diverse populations in the U.S.
  • UPDATED: Additional information on brain development and the impact of maltreatment on the brain has been added to Chapter 3. Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7 also discuss how the brain is affected by different forms of abuse and neglect.
  • UPDATED: The topics of child sex trafficking and an expanded section on kinship care reflect trends in child protection today.
  • UPDATED: The functions of initial intervention and case management are more clearly defined, and there is a clearer explanation of what constitutes treatment in protective situations.

Table of contents

  1. The Maltreatment of Children Then and Now
  2. The Family: Roles, Responsibilities, and Rights
  3. Trauma and the Developing Child
  4. The Neglect of Children
  5. The Physical Abuse of Children
  6. The Sexual Abuse of Children
  7. Intrafamilial Abuse
  8. Extrafamilial Sexual Abuse, Misuse, and Exploitation
  9. Psychological Maltreatment of Children
  10. Intervention: Reporting, Investigation and Assessment
  11. Collaborative Intervention and Case Management
  12. The Legal Response to Child Abuse and Neglect
  13. Case Management and Treatment of Physical Abuse and Neglect
  14. Treatment of Sexual Abuse
  15. Foster Care for Abused and Neglected Children
  16. Adults Abused as Children
  17. Working in Child Protection and Prevention

Author bios

About our author

Dr. Cynthia Crosson-Tower is a national expert on child abuse and neglect and the author of numerous books and publications including Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect, Exploring Child Welfare: A Practice Perspective, When Children Are Abused: An Educator's Guide to Intervention, A Clergy Guide to Child Abuse and Neglect and How Schools Can Combat Child Abuse and Neglect. Dr. Crosson-Tower taught in the Behavioral Sciences Department at Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts for 24 years, also founding and serving as the Director of the Child Protection Institute there. She maintains a private practice, Harvest Counseling and Consultation, specializing in the treatment of survivors of abuse and perpetrators of sexual abuse. Dr. Crosson-Tower served on the subcommittee to develop protocol for the Cardinal's Commission of the Archdiocese of Boston and became a part of the Implementation and Oversight Committee of the Archdiocese's Office of Child Advocacy.

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