I agree that this is a very comprehensive text, presented in an easy-to-follow style. Chapters are logically laid out and interesting for the student of the subject.

However,(and this is a big however) this edition does not seem to be very updated for practice in 2004. It also is very American, so the sections on law have less applicablity for Canadian students.

Some examples of dated information can be found on page 238, which talks of the use of anotomically correct dolls for child interviews. The use of these dolls (in Canadian child welfare anyway) peaked in the early 1990's. Dolls are generally seen in the field as leading and interviews that still use them would be questionable in court.

Also on page 238, there are some interviewing tips that could be seen as somewhat leading. Page 216, makes passing reference to the "emergence of ritual abuse". Ritual abuse actually emerged in the 1980's and early 1990's and is not accepted as widespread, as originally had been thought. The ritual abuse panic of that period is a bit of an embarrassment for the field.

Since the late 1990's there has been a re-definition of practice in child protection (within Canada and in parts of the USA) that has re-focused child welfare on early intervention, early planning and permanency for children. This is in contrast to earlier attempts at family preservation at-all-costs and foster care drift. I think that this text book, although well written, has not been fully updated in this fifth edition. I see 1989 as the first edition date and 1993 as the second edition. I would hazard a guess that this text was very current in 1989 and 1993.

I own the 1993 version of this text and can honestly say that it is the most comprehensive single writing on child abuse that I have encountered.

Chapters of the 1993 printing include:
The Maltreatment of Children from a Historical Perspective
The Family: Roles, Responsibilities, and Rights
Maltreatment and the Developing Child
The Physical Abuse of Children
the Neglect of Children
the Emotional Maltreatment of Children
the Sexual Abuse of Children
Incest: Familial Abuse

Extrafamilial Sexual Abuse, Misuse, and Exploitation
Intervention: Reporting and Investigation
Intervention: Case Management and Roles of Other Professionals
The Legal Response to Child Abuse and Neglect
Treatment: Physical Abuse and Neglect
Treatment: Sexual Abuse
Foster Care as a Theapeutic Tool
The Social Worker and the System
Adults Abused as Children
Prevention
Toward a Better Tomorrow

The author puts forth much valuable information which is clearly well researched. It is also written in a common-sense format. If you are looking for one book on everything child abuse, this should be it.