A shocking reminder of the cruel history of childhood that has been largely hidden and forgotten.
Children Forsaken provides a long, historical, overarching examination of the phenomenon of child abuse. In the UK battered child syndrome was ‘discovered’ in the 1960s, whilst child sexual abuse gained attention in the early 1980s. Subsequent enquiries, legislation and practice developments have focused narrowly on reacting to events giving the impression that child abuse is a recent problem.
Yet the historical record provides a multitude of examples of the ritual slaughter, sexual and physical abuse of children continuing since Ancient times. This book place child abuse in the context of the way children and childhood have been understood throughout the ages, but also show that despite legal definitions, and children’s rights laws, children and young people continue to suffer.
This book enables practitioners and those training in the helping professions to gain a deeper understanding of how embedded in human society child abuse has been and still is. Practitioners need to perceive child abuse as a long-standing problem about children’s status in the World, their legal and human rights, and that much work is still needed to ensure children’s needs and safety are paramount.
‘This ambitious book paints an important and erudite picture of child abuse and social responses to it, bringing us up-to-date with a call for continued vigilance, compassion, and action.’
Professor Jonathan Parker, Bournemouth University
Tabla de materias
1. Child abuse in ancient times
2: Fairy tales, folklore and religion
3. Defining child abuse
4. Revealing child abuse
5: Children as labour
6. Child sexual abuse becomes public
7. The Contemporary picture
8. Changing perceptions of children
9. Children’s rights and parents support
Sobre el autor
Steven Walker was born in the North East of England, a grammar school boy, he is an Alumnus of the London School of Economics and Political Science, and has an MPhil in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. He qualified as a psychotherapist in 1992 and worked in CAMHS for 20 years as a practitioner and then Head of Child and Adolescent Mental Health at Anglia Ruskin University, where he designed and developed award-winning multi-disciplinary CAMH training. Steven has published 12 text books, presented his research at 10 International Conferences and published over 50 scholarly papers for International Journals.
Steven is a Unicef Children’s Champion, Fellow of the Higher Education Institute, and a member of the Association of Family Therapists. Now semi-retired he still accepts work as an Expert Witness, is a volunteer Psychotherapist with Youth Enquiry Service and volunteers at Essex Wildlife Trust.