The Sexual Abuse of Children

How can we seek justice and redress for the sexual abuse of children and better prevent its occurrence? This work brings together the thoughts on this question advanced by leading scholars, from a range of disciplinary backgrounds including criminology, sociology, law and psychology, from around the world. These thinkers - including renowned specialists Karen Terry, Stephen Smallbone and Kathleen Dalyand other professional practitioners - provide new perspectives on sanctioned and informal responses to abuse in religious, educational and total institutions, as well as to abuse carried out in non-institutional settings. The contributors draw on a broad range of case studies from mainly Australia, New Zealand, the United States, England and Canada. They investigate historical and contemporary approaches to child sexual abuse; questions of policing, prosecution and compensation; the abuse of power by clergy and teachers; the role of public inquiries; the prevention of harm; and responses to abuse in Aboriginal communities. The scope of the collection is wide-ranging, encompassing sanctioned and informal responses to abuse in religious, educational and 'total' institutions as well as non-institutional settings. It addresses the abuse of both boys and girls and white and non-white children and spans the late nineteenth century to the contemporary period. The Sexual Abuse of Children will be a valuable resource for researchers, students and those who deal with related issues in professional contexts. About the editors: Yorick Smaal is a historian and ARC DECRA Research Fellow at Griffith University. His areas of research focus on sex and gender, war and society, and law and criminal justice. Amanda Kaladelfos is a historian and Research Fellow with the ARC Laureate Fellowship Project 'Prosecution and the Criminal Trial in Australian History' at Griffith University. Amanda's research examines gender, violence and the law. Mark Finnane is ARC Laureate Fellow and Professor of History at Griffith University. His research in Australia and Ireland has focussed on the history of mental hospitals, prisons, punishment, policing and the criminal law.