Pathways to Prevention: Connecting Research and Policy to Reduce Risk for Child Maltreatment (Interpersonal Violence)

Pathways to Prevention: Connecting Research and Policy to Reduce Risk for Child Maltreatment foregrounds recommendations for preventing child maltreatment by examining historical and contemporary changes in U.S. social policy and by summarizing research on the causes and consequences of child maltreatment. The book draws on research from the Lehigh Longitudinal Study, one of the longest-running projects on child maltreatment in the United States, to bring attention to the ways in which policies and systems have, or have not, evolved to meet the needs of vulnerable children and families.

The book begins by tracing the history of U.S. child welfare policy to explain how the original Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) of the 1970s came to be and what the writers of this legislation intended. Following this review, the authors introduce the Lehigh Longitudinal Study and other studies of its time to explore how themes in research parallel changes in federal policy. Throughout the book, the authors include recommendations to align research and policy and demonstrate the power of prevention.

Written with students, child advocates, and policy makers in mind, Pathways to Prevention will serve as a resource for anyone interested in helping improve the lives of children and families.

Todd I. Herrenkohl is the Marion Elizabeth Blue Professor of Children and Families at the University of Michigan School of Social Work where he teaches courses in research methods and child maltreatment prevention. He received a BA from Lehigh University, an MSW from Simmons College School of Social Work, and a PhD from the University of Washington's doctoral program in social welfare. Originally trained as a mental health clinician, he has since worked in higher education as a researcher and teacher. Through his scholarship, he is helping to increase the visibility, application, and sustainability of evidence-based approaches to child maltreatment prevention and resilience in children and adults who experience violence at different stages of the lifecourse.

Bri Stormer is an advocate with expertise in child abuse prevention, early childhood, and social policy. She received a BA from Case Western Reserve University and an MSW from the University of Southern California, concentrating in macro social work. Her career has focused on supporting professionals working in early care and education, child maltreatment, and prevention through a myriad of strategies, including research translation and dissemination, public health program implementation, community engagement, and policy advocacy. Her current work focuses on how community needs and research evidence can be utilized to develop and refine evidence-informed policies that meet family needs and help children thrive.