Child Neglect: Identification and Assessment, Jan Horwath, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007, pp. 281, ISBN 1-4039-3346-4, 20.99

Abstract

Until recently, the ‘neglect of neglect’ has been very evident in child welfare policy and research, despite child neglect being the single largest reason for children coming into state care in most English-speaking countries and a major cause of child maltreatment fatalities. It is thus very encouraging to see another book which addresses the seriousness of child neglect. Jan Horwath writes in a clear style, which is aimed at child welfare practitioners and managers, but the book could have benefited from closer proofreading, as it contains quite a number of typographical errors. The content of the book draws significantly on Horwath's own research, and on child death and serious injury reviews in the UK, but readers in other countries will also find it relevant. The book has a number of strengths. These include the section on the effects of neglect on child development, the analysis of parenting capacity in terms of ability, motivation and opportunity, and the summaries of the possible impact of parental learning disabilities, mental illness, substance dependence and family violence. The section on the perspectives of different professions and on inter-sectoral collaboration is also valuable, and, for readers unfamiliar with the literature on resilience and attachment, the book provides a sound introduction to these concepts.