"Organized into twelve coherent chapters, the writers talk us through a research study on the views of nine children who have experienced abuse. The book emphasizes potential issues which may arise at different stages in the process and which all researchers could learn from when trying to undertake research with children. A child-centred philosophy is apparent throughout. Chapters include 'Children's Voices: Their Views on Abuse and the Impact of Abuse' and 'Children's Vulnerability to Abuse: A Double-Edged Issue'. The explicit message of the book is that the definition and experience of child abuse are often seen through the eyes of adults. The intention of this book is to portray the children's definition and experience. Integral to this is the need to provide children with a voice. While we are aware that there are numerous texts on the child abuse phenomenon, this text allows an insight into how children conceptualize and, very importantly, feel about their experiences. Certain themes that have been derived from the research include the comparison of abused children to that of hostages. The concept of helplessness is explored in relation to this in an attempt to understand the victimization of children and how they perceive their experiences. Children's vulnerability is explored further in the context of families and wider society. Hence, there is wider discussion on structural vulnerability and developmental vulnerability. With much emphasis being on developmental issues concerning the child's dependent role within families and wider society, discussion centres on this as a predisposition to abuse (Finkelhor, 1997; Lansdowne, 1994)."--FROM ABSTRACT BY MICHELLE DAVIES IN BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK .

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