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This book exposes the misguided efforts of professionals in all child-related fields to accurately identify and help victimized children and their families. The author, a rare 25 year expert child abuse investigator, employs the compelling storytelling of actual cases to demonstrate the shortcomings of a flawed system, and provide solutions to achieve truly beneficial changes. Readers are drawn inside the investigative process as if they are directly involved as each case unfolds. The easy-to-read narrative style serves as a comprehensive, much needed resource for both professionals and parents alike, and makes a difficult subject matter approachable for widespread audiences. Imagine responding to a knock on your door and hearing "I have a child abuse report regarding your family." How would you react? With a warm invite? Or with shock, panic, or anger rising on your face? How about fear? Anger may not be justified, but fear surely would be; because the investigator may create greater harm than good... Why? The reason rests on the fact that the average long-standing length of employment in the child abuse investigative field is less than two years. Few people gain sufficient experience in their limited exposures on the job to sufficiently assess situations, leaving them ill-equipped to evaluate the wide range of circumstances that may comprise abuse or neglect. Too often conclusions are made based on personal beliefs, biases, and gut feelings, regardless of the facts. These inadequacies are exacerbated by the reality that investigators have no clear definition of abuse and neglect to guide them. They tend to overreact to circumstances that don't constitute abuse or neglect, while being ill-prepared to effectively deal with very serious problems. Investigative findings should be fact-based, and persons under investigation shouldn't dread hearing a knock on their doors. Investigators should instill confidence that they are competent and intending to provide help, even to those who prove to be guilty. As each chapter leads to the next, sound examples are presented of how to correct the inadequacies. Allow your vision to be expanded. Children, and their families, deserve better.
