When the first edition of this ABC was published, sexual abuse was reaching the headlines, and the Children Act 1989 was coming into force.
Now, 18 years later, media interest and, sometimes, misconceptions continue, and a new Children Act has been published for England and Wales.
Yet much has changed, there is more recorded experience, a stronger basis of evidence for detection of abuse, and clearer guidelines for those suspecting or identifying it.
This book is a text for doctors about the recognition and diagnosis of child abuse.
It emphasizes those aspects of the clinical history, examination, and investigation that are useful in deciding whether the child’s problems are the result of natural or unnatural (abusive) causes.
The medical contribution depends not only on doctors but also on nurses and other staff of the health service who deal with children and who may be the first to notice abuse or be informed of it.
This book should help them. It will also be helpful to all those concerned with child protection whether from social services, the police, legal or teaching professions, in understanding the way that medical diagnosis is made and the strengths and weaknesses of medical opinions and reports.
The book outlines procedures and the respective roles of those who contribute to child protection but does not go into the detail of management.
For the benefit of readers who consult individual chapters, some essential information is repeated.
