Child Abuse: Opposing Viewpoints

Presents opposing viewpoints concerning issues related to child abuse, including what causes this form of abuse, and is it possible to justly prosecute it in the courts.

Grade 9 Up-Another excellent series offering, this book raises such issues as: the seriousness of child abuse; how widespread it is; its causes; the responses of the legal system; and how it can be reduced. Each article is framed with an introductory note about the contributor and a series of questions to guide readers' critical thinking. Essays present opposite sides of the issue; for example, an essay on boys being exposed to sexual abuse in Scouting is countered by another claiming that Scouting teaches boys how to avoid it. Satanic ritual, sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, and whether or not young victims should confront their abusers in court are considered. Illustrated with a few editorial cartoons and some graphs, thought-provokingly written with objectivity, and appended with lists of organizations to contact and questions for further discussion, Child Abuse is a solid work on a timely topic.
Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.