Recommended reading

This book was produced in conjunction with New Zealand's Children's Commissioner. The authors' aim is to provide a better understanding of child death by maltreatment and of society's responses to it. The first part of the book discusses the prevalence and nature of child homicide, with a review of the international literature. This is followed by a detailed analysis of the 91 cases of child deaths by maltreatment which occurred between 1991 and 2000, drawing on Police data. The second part of the book discusses responses to child homicide by statutory child protection services. It discusses the impact a growth in a culture of blame relating to child deaths and statutory child protection services has had, including increased risk-aversion in child protection practices. The daily complexities of child protection social work are discussed, followed by a report on a qualitative study of the nine deaths of children who were known to Child, Youth and Family, New Zealand's statutory child protection agency, between 1996 and 2000. Finally, the policy and practice implications that can be drawn from the child deaths reviewed are discussed. The authors argue that the number of future child deaths by maltreatment can be reduced if response systems are strengthened and if society works collectively to break cycles of child abuse and neglect.

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