Book reviews : The Child as Victim of a Sexual Offence
| DOI | 10.1177/026455055900900310 |
| Published date | 01 September 1959 |
| Date | 01 September 1959 |
| Author | M.E. Dawkins |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
43
hood
in
the
formation
of
good
mental
health.
One
method
of
doing
this
is
through its
numerous
publications.
These
are
designed
mainly
for
the
general
public,
but
many
of
them
will
be
of
interest
and
help
to
probation
officers.
The
more
recent
publications
include
Dr.
John
Bowlby’s
Can
I
Leave
my
Baby ?
( 1 / 6d.).
In
this
booklet
the
author
gives
in
a
very
readable
way
his
views
on
the
dangers
inherent
in
the
separation
of
young
children
from
their
mothers.
He
descnbes
the
child’s
complete
dependence
on
the
mother,
and
how
this
tends
to
increase
rather
than
diminish
around
the
age
of
two
years.
He
goes
on
to
urge
that
where
the
mother
is
unable
to
care
for
the
child
herself,
her
place
should
be
taken
by
one
other
person.
She
must
not
however
be
surprised
if
the
child
tends
in
time
to
regard
the
substitute
as
its
real
mother.
Whilst
pointing
out
the
dangers
of
prolonged
separation
these
are
not
over-stressed
and
mention
is
made
that
some
children
seem
to
be
unharmed
by
this
experience.
The
question
of
holidays
away
from
the
children,
hospital
treatment
and
placement
in
residential
nurseries
is
also
discussed.
Of
particular
interest
to
those
carrying
out
adoption
work
is
Robina
Addis’s
Mental
Health
Aspects
of Adop-
tion
(9d.).
As
the
title
suggests
the
author
is
concerned
mainly
with
the
emotional
aspects
of
adoption
rather
than
the
legal.
The
permanency
of
adoption
is
pointed
out
with
the
consequent
need
for
careful
placement.
Miss
Addis
deals
in
a
helpful
manner
with
such
difficult
prob-
lems
as
the
underlying
motives
of
the
adoptive
parents,
the
best
age
for
adoption,
the
question
of
telling
the
child
that
it
is
adopted,
and
the
age
at
which
this
can
best
be
done.
She
also
points
out
that
there
is
no
provision
for
after-care
once
an
Adoption
Order
has
been
made,
and
suggests
that
many
adoptive
parents
might
welcome
the
opportunity
of
such
a
service
on
a
voluntary
basis.
Do
Babies
Have
Worries?
( 1 / 6d.)
was
originally
pub-
lished
in
America,
but
has
been
adapted
for
English
readers.
The
author
answers
the
question
posed
in
the
title
in
the
affirmative,
and
suggests
that
the
child’s
main
worry
is
the
loss
of
his
parents’
love.
Three
&dquo;types&dquo;
of
love
are
contrasted,
namely
&dquo;affectionate&dquo;,
&dquo;dutiful&dquo;,
and
&dquo;smothering&dquo;.
Although
the
&dquo;comic
strip&dquo;
approach
is
used
this
little
book
gives
a
good
account
of
a
child’s
emotional
needs,
and
also
suggests
methods
of
dealing
with
such
problems
as
feeding,
toilet
training,
and
sex
education,
etc.
(The
cover
by
Giles
is
worth
1 / 6d.).
Why
Special
Schools ?
is
a
leaflet
designed
for
the
parents
of
backward
children.
The
sense
of
failure
which
a
back-
ward
child
might
feel
in
an
ordinary
school
is
explained,
and
the
advantages
of
special
school
education
are
dis-
cussed.
Adolescence
by
Isobel
Stirling
( 1
/ 6d.)
is
designed
to
give
parents
of
adolescents
some
knowledge
of
the
physical
and
psychological
problems
of
this
stage
of
development.
Such
questions
as
adolescent
moods,
obsti-
nacy,
gaucherie,
and
hero-worship
are
discussed
in
a
sympathetic
manner,
and
suggestions
are
made
regarding
the
handling
of
these
difficulties.
The
emotional
aspects
of
sex
are
also
dealt
with,
and
the
importance
of
the
parents’
attitude
to
this
is
stressed.
Publications
dealing
with
adult
mental
health
include
Mental
Breakdown
(3 / 6d.).
This
book
is
designed
to
give
the
families
of
mental
patients
some
understanding
of
mental
illness.
This
is
done
in
the
form
of
the
story
of
a
man
who
becomes
mentally
ill,
and
the
effects
of
this
on
his
family.
Voluntary
treatment
and
certification
are
explained
as
are
the
main
types
of
mental
illness.
Life
in
a
mental
hospital
is
painted
in
a
realistic
manner,
and
modem
physical
treatments
and
psychotherapy
are
also
described.
The
need
for
the
patient’s
relatives
to
keep
in
touch
is
stressed,
also
the
importance
of
after-care
on
the
patient’s
return
home.
Fifiy
Questions
and
Answers
on
Mental
Illness
(1
/-)
is
the
outcome
of
questions
received
by
the
N.A.M.H.
following
the
B.B.C.
television
pro-
gramme
&dquo;The
Hurt
Mind&dquo;,
and
the
sound
broadcast
&dquo;To
Comfort
Always&dquo;.
Questions
dealt
with
include:
&dquo;Should
people
who
have
any
trace
of
mental
instability
in
their
family
have
children?&dquo;,
&dquo;Is
alcoholism
a
mental
illness
or
is
it
the
cause
of
the
illness?&dquo;,
&dquo;Why
is
it
that
mentally
ill
people
often
turn
against
friends
and
relations
who
have
been
kindest
to
them’?&dquo;.
These
and
many
other
difficult
questions
are
dealt
with
in
a
clear
and
concise
manner.
There
is
also
a
reading
list
and
a
useful
glossary.
Do
Cows
have
Neurosis?
(1/6d.)
is
very
similar
in
style
to
Do
Babies
Have
Worries ?,
and
differentiates
between
normal,
neurotic,
and
psychotic
behaviour
and
has
already
been
reviewed
in
PROBATION.
Mental
Disorder
by
C.
H.
Rolph
is
a
summary
of
the
report
of
the
Royal
Commission
on
the
Law
Relating
to
Mental
Illness
and
Mental
Deficiency.
In
addition
to
out-
lining
the
recommendations
of
the
Report
with
its
empha-
sis
on
&dquo;care
without
compulsion&dquo;,
Mr.
Rolph
also
des-
cribes
the
present
procedure
regarding
voluntary
treatment
and
certification,
etc.
Of
particular
interest
to
probation
officers
is
the
suggested
provision
regarding
compulsory
treatment
for
psychopaths
under
the
age
of 21,
and
com-
pulsory
detention
for
examination
of
psychopaths
of
all
ages.
No
attempt
has
been
made
to
discuss
the
recom-
mendations
in
a
critical
way,
and
readers
should
be
aware
that
there
are
other
points
of
view.
The
original
Report
ran
to
some
200,000
words
and
Mr.
Rolph
is
to
be
congratulated
in
compressing
this
into
a
very
clear
and
readable
25
pages;
hereby
bringing,
in
the
words
of
Lord
Feversham,
this
outstanding
social
document
to
the
notice
of
a
wider
public.
It
has
only
been
possible
to
mention
a
few
of
the
many
publications
of
the
N.A.M.H.,
and
anyone
wanting
further
information
should
write
to
N.A.M.H.
Publications
Department,
39
Queen
Anne
Street,
London,
W.I.
F.
W.
S.
Taylor.
The
Child
as
Victim
of
a
Sexual
Offence
David
Reifen
(The
Association
of
Psychiatric
Social
Workers,
9d.)
The
position
of
children
obliged
to
give
evidence
in
cases
of
sexual
assault
is
a
matter
about
which
many
probation
officers
have
for
long
been
troubled.
We
have
most
of
us
known
cases
where
the
court
proceedings
have
appeared
more
damaging
to
the
child
than
the
actual
offence.
There
is
an
acute
conflict
here
between
the
welfare
of
the
child
and
the
need
for
a
fair
trial
for
the
offender - and
in
this
conflict
the
welfare
of
the
child
usually
comes
off
a
bad
second.
N.A.P.O.
has
been
concerned
about
this
matter
in
its
evidence
to
the
Ingleby
Committee
and
has
made
a
recom-
mendation
to
mitigate
the
damage;
namely
that
offenders
against
children
should
be
dealt
with
in
the
juvenile
court
- at
least
up
to
the
level
of
committal
for
trial
in
the
more
serious
cases.
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