The Guilford
Press The author, a play therapist and college professor, attempts to cover this vast subject in seven chapters. She puts her own treatment spin on this issue using outdated theories about abuse. The extent and various types of abuse are briefly covered and Gil attempts to fit abuse into standard treatments and avoids any discussion of resilience. Gil admits there are no standard profiles of victims and what little is known is very mixed. Although she believes that adolescent abuse is underreported, she offers little support for this assumption. She briefly discusses trauma processing, conflicting theories about adolescent development, and individual, family, and group treatment, but does not discuss date rape, sexual emancipation, drug addiction, or recovered memory. The book closes with a selective set of references and an index. The book will only be useful to experienced therapists who are already familiar with the issues. Reviewed by LeRoy G. Schultz, Emeritus Professor of Social Work, West Virginia University.
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