Fern Ridge Press Description: This edited book of 14 chapters introduces a biological
approach to child abuse causes and interventions. In its analysis of the causes
of child abuse, the book provides practical information about childhood
allergies, overuse of sugars, childhood sensation induction, metabolism,
learning disorders and genetic disorders. The book concludes with ten short
sections specifically written for parents, and a short bibliography on child
abuse. Comments: That this book was edited by an individual with a masters degree in library science encourages the viewing of child abuse as a broad social problem. The book contributes a new variable (biological) to child protective workers which if taken seriously would further prolong the current gridlock of services provided by CPS agencies. Chapter 10's introduction of the concept of offender malnutrition as an etiologic agent will surprise many CPS workers, and further highlights the biological perspective of child abuse. This nutritional connection will raise new service issues for state agencies. Indeed, the whole biological connection to child abuse (crime in general) has been sadly ignored in the past. This connection may hold future promise as the basis for new interventions. Though biology is important, it need not dictate destiny and in order to be able to play a role in modifying biological factors which contribute to abuse, psychologists and social workers are encouraged to become knowledgeable about nutrition. Overall, this book appears to be written more for parents than for professionals, and may be the first serious effort to describe biological factors in child abuse etiology that can be used by parents. All of this makes us realize how difficult it is to be a parent today without help and support. Further complicating the issue is the invention of two new syndromes by the author and her writer-contributors (a common weakness of modem professionals), the "worker-mother" syndrome (p. 198) and the "parent-infant toxicity syndrome" (p.10). Introduction of these two concepts only serves to muddle the issues further. A refreshing contribution which may provide parents with some comfort is the section which discusses "sexual exploration" by children as normal child behavior. The editor is to be commended for going against the traditional grain of child abuse-hysteria writing. Unfortunately, Chapter 11 on sexual abuse is the book's weakest contribution. Curiously, this chapter overlooks the pattern of earlier chapters and does not invoke hormonal or gender differences in the etiology of child abuse. Rather, it naively supports a wide variety of symptoms as allegedly caused by sexual abuse, although the symptoms could have other causes. Unfortunately, the chapter ignores what is probably the most common type of abuse, sibling sexual misuse. The editor justifiably warns us that we should not create trauma where it does not exist and that no two cases of abuse are alike. Some professional readers will be offended by the editor's use of empirical evidence in support of some conclusions, while relying on her own values for others, which highlights the poverty of research on child abuse. The editor, for example, cites "unemployment" as a cause of child abuse, but does not provide any social-historical supports for this claim. Overall, this book is worth buying, particularly for parental training. The editor makes a strong endorsement for such parent training with her statement: "The parent is the expert on the child" (p.209). Reviewed by LeRoy Schultz, School of Social Work, West Virginia University.
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