Review

Crossing a minefield

CHILD ABUSE: towards a knowledge base
Brian Corby
Open University Press, 2000

The last couple of decades have seen a massive change in our perception of child abuse but it will always be an emotive topic, and one which it is difficult to be certain that we are responding to as fully (or objectively) as we might like. How do we spot child abuse? What should we do if we have serious suspicions? Who can we call upon for support and guidance if we believe that a child is at risk? In this book, Brian Corby goes a long way to helping us to begin to find a way through this particular minefield.

Whatever your field of practice – and at whatever level you operate – the information and guidance in this book might prove useful to you. If children are outside your remit, think again: even if this book is not directly applicable to what you do, consider whether or not it might be a useful addition to any communal library to which you have access.

Child abuse can only be tackled effectively if we establish a solid knowledge base about its incidence, the tell-tale signs and symptoms and how to respond. This book goes a long way to establishing just such a knowledge base. Brian Corby tackles his subject sensitively and objectively, so that what might have been an academic exercise results in a body of work that is useful to professionals in many different disciplines, and at any level.