Reviews : Understanding Child Abuse (2nd Ed
| Author | Liz Donaghy |
| Published date | 01 March 1988 |
| Date | 01 March 1988 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/026455058803500113 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
and keeping them -out of prison - on6 which
practice issues inherent in the area of child
went along with the best ideals of the Service,
abuse. The va~i~tl professional backgrounds of
and which also met a pressing Government
the authors; social work, paediatrics and
objective, to save money on the extremely
psychiatry means that the view taken is multi-
expensive Prison Service. Without these new
disciplinary and interagency co-operation in
objectives, there was a real danger, in the
intervention in families who have abused their
current political climate, of the Probation
children is stressed. ..
Service becoming obsolete. Failure to consider
Part 1 of the book sets the concept at child
this, or any other interpretation of the national
abuse within a social and historical framework.
Home Office strategy, weakens the effective-
It goes on to outline the medical aspects of
ness of the author’s argument.
physical abuse, neglect and failure to thrive.
Consequently, Parry-Khan’ proposed solu-
There is no detailed specific discussion of sexual
tion has great attractions but is flawed in the way
abuse. A broad typology of abusing parents is
in which it is put forward. I share her view that
presented which is clearly argued but not rigid;
an adhocratic approach fosters the kind of
great emphasis is placed on individual
creativity with which the best Probation work is
differences. Issues of honesty, confidentiality
done, but it seems to me
to be naive to expect us
and authority which so often cause difficulty for
to be allowed to carry this entirely ’on our own
workers, are clearly addressed.
terms’.
Part II deals with the initial crisis of abuse or
’In many ways I feel that the Government needs to be
suspected abuse, beginning with the first
actively counselled by the Probation Service for it to
interview and going on to discuss the diversity
be allowed a greater degree of flexibility and control
of professional roles. There is a detailed
over its own...
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