Books
Child Maltreatment Fatalities in the United States: Four Decades of Policy, Program, and Professional Responses (2016) reviews multiple responses to fatal child maltreatment: child welfare system, safe haven laws, prevention programs, criminal justice responses, and more.
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The Primordial Violence (2013) features longitudinal data from over 7,000 U.S. families as well as results from a 32 nation study, the book presents the latest research on the extent to which spanking is used in different cultures and the subsequent effects of its use on children and on society. Evidence that shows the relationship between spanking and the subsequent slowing of cognitive development and increase in antisocial and criminal behavior is shown. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies are explored in an accessible fashion. An abundance of high quality research has produced findings that are highly consistent from study to study which show that spanking is a risk factor for aggressive behavior and other social and psychological problems. Because of these findings, the authors argue for policy changes and recommend a drastic reduction in the use of spanking. Policy and practical implications are explored in most chapters.
Innovations in Child and Family Policy (2010) tackles many of the common problems and challenges that are considered to be at the heart of child and family policy: family creation, economic support, childrearing, and family care-giving. Innovations begins by defining child and family policy and discussing the history of this growing specialization within the social sciences.
Mending Broken Families (2006) - Since the 1970s, policy-makers and advocates for mothers, fathers, and children have attempted to remedy some of the inherent problems of divorce, such as conflict over the children, delegation of decision-making responsibiities, poor communication skills, and lack of knowledge about children experiencing divorce through state-level legislation for divorcing or divorced families. This book addresses the efficacy of joint custody policy, parenting plans, mediation, divorce education, and other recent trends among divorced or disrupted families.