Reviews : Consulting in Child Custody: An Introduction to the Ugliest Litigation for Mental-Health Professionals MELVIN G. GOLDZBAND, M D Lexington Books, 1982; pp 183; hb
| Published date | 01 September 1983 |
| Author | Gwyneth Boswell |
| Date | 01 September 1983 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455058303000319 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
what he saw in his Social Services file that
The book contains some useful case histories
prompted Graham to fight against what he had
and a trial transcript, but covers much familiar
become.
ground about ’the best interests of the child’. Its
As a story of individual hardship, and ulti-
usefulness to the British reader lies mainly in a
mately strength, the book has considerable
reference capacity, though its message that the
emotional impact but it also raises implicit, wider
professional in the role of child advocate should
ranging questions about social work practice and
be stimulated rather than unnerved by the prospect
the nature of
state provision for children in care.
of a courtroom battle, is one which offers
BRYAN TAYLOR
encouragement to us all.
Probation Officer, Nottingham
GWYNETH BOSWELL
Probation Officer, Merseyside
Delinquency: the problem and its
Punishment, Danger and Stigma
prevention
NIGEL WALKER
DENIS STOTT
Basil Blackwell, 1980; pb; pp 206; £5.25
Spectrum Publications,
1982;
pb; pp 323; £9.95
In Behaviour and Misbehaviour, Nigel W alker
Dr. Stott’s aim
is to provide social workers with
showed himself to be an accomplished exponent
a
working guide to the prevention of delinquency.
of philosophical techniques in the elucidation of
He sees family weakness as the link between
criminological issues, and the present work is
wider trends e.g. poverty and cultural
similarly conscientious and analytical. It can be
disintegration, and juvenile crime. He develops
read as a sequence of essays on the moral aspects
a
typology of stressful family situations likely to
of
punishment and its unity is constituted less by
lead to delinquency.
a sustained argument than by its characteristic
The book is polemical. He criticises the
stance of scepticism. If Walker’s position is
philosophy of diversion, tying it more closely to
broadly reductivist, it is not because he is unaware
treatment. He
would like to see the juvenile court
of the dangers of...
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