Praeger Publishers Description: This 237 page edited book consists of 17 chapters dealing
with such topics as the responsibilities of mental health professionals,
pediatricians, and courts, reporting laws and reporting behavior, and civil
suits. The book discusses professional misconduct, the process involved in the
decision to report an incident, how to discipline professionals through their
licensing agencies, and the National Education Association's efforts to protect
teachers against erroneous charges. Chapter 10 discusses the new practice of
sexual abuse victims suing agencies for malpractice. Discussion: This is a disturbing book. Our hopes for ethically and professionally responsible behavior in the helping professions rest with each profession's code of ethics and licensing board regulations and enforcement procedures. But child protective agencies are usually forced to hire nonprofessionals, who are not subject to professional codes of ethics or licensing boards. Therefore, most professions have little control over protective service workers and their behavior. Like most books of readings, this book is uneven. Some chapters are valuable, while others are misleading or antiquated. For example, the sections which deal with alleged sexual abuse in day care centers and churches reflect the current hysteria and use individual "war stories" for support and proof. The book is recommended primarily to attorneys interested in using civil suits against agencies. Finally, the section on unethical attorneys is valuable and highlights the inadequacies of the licensing authorities. Reviewed by LeRoy Schultz, a professor of social work at 708 Allen Hall, Suite 710, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506.
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