Behind The Playground Walls: Sexual Abuse In Preschools - Hardcover

"This book is a major contribution to our knowledge of the effects of reported sexual and ritualistic abuse of young children, as well as the impact on their families. This extensive study was one of the first in the field to take a longitudinal perspective on the aftermath of the reported abuse. As such, it contributes greatly to our understanding of the healing process for traumatized children. The authors' recommendations regarding the treatment of children and families reporting sexual abuse will have a major impact on the field. The authors are to be commended for their ability to communicate the findings of such a monumental research project in both a scholarly and comprehensible manner. The authors' expertise as both researchers and clinicians is clearly reflected in this outstanding work. Academics, researchers, professionals, social policy makers, and the general public alike will find this book to be comprehensive and objective. I highly recommend this book for anyone involved in the field of child abuse." --Susan J. Kelley, R.N., Ph.D., Boston College School of Nursing "Long awaited, this outstanding volume offers a sober and sophisticated analysis of two major preschool sexual abuse cases; one of which involved allegations of ritualistic abuse. I am extremely impressed with both the research presented and the interpretations offered -- highly recommended to clinicians and researchers!" --John Briere, PhD, USC Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences Associates "This book is the fruit of hard labor. The authors are to be commended for their longitudinal design, for testing theory in a field sometimes lacking it, for conducting the research in spite of many pragmatic difficulties, and for producing a book that is readable by laypersons but that includes enough detail about method and analysis to be useful for serious researchers.... Child abuse researchers and therapists and families of children involved in sexual abuse cases will benefit from the findings of this research." --Bette L. Bottoms, Contemporary Psychology , .."an in-depth discussion of the effects of ritualistic and nonritualistic sexual abuse in preschools....present detailed information in a straightforward, user-friendly style...Because the authors do not overgeneralize their findings, this is a valuable book for social workers, psychologists, pediatricians, child psychiatrists, and others." -- Hospital and Community Psychiatry "The book is recommended for a thorough, but scientifically cautious and possibly heuristic, read." -- Science Books and Films "Jill Waterman, Robert Kelly, Mary Oliveri, and Jane McCord should be applauded for their efforts to bring scientific dispassion to the study of the aftermath of alleged ritual abuse in a preschool." -- Journal of Pediatric Psychology .,."an in-depth discussion of the effects of ritualistic and nonritualistic sexual abuse in preschools....present detailed information in a straightforward, user-friendly style...Because the authors do not overgeneralize their findings, this is a valuable book for social workers, psychologists, pediatricians, child psychiatrists, and others." --"Hospital and Community Psychiatry" "The book is recommended for a thorough, but scientifically cautious and possibly heuristic, read." --"Science Books and Films" "Jill Waterman, Robert Kelly, Mary Oliveri, and Jane McCord should be applauded for their efforts to bring scientific dispassion to the study of the aftermath of alleged ritual abuse in a preschool." --"Journal of Pediatric Psychology" ..."an in-depth discussion of the effects of ritualistic and nonritualistic sexual abuse in preschools....present detailed information in a straightforward, user-friendly style...Because the authors do not overgeneralize their findings, this is a valuable book for social workers, psychologists, pediatricians, child psychiatrists, and others." --"Hospital and Community Psychiatry" "The book is recommended for a thorough, but scientifically cautious and possibly heuristic, read." --"Science Books and Films" "Jill Waterman, Robert Kelly, Mary Oliveri, and Jane McCord should be applauded for their efforts to bring scientific dispassion to the study of the aftermath of alleged ritual abuse in a preschool." --"Journal of Pediatric Psychology"

Representing over 6 years of research with children reporting nonritualistic and ritualistic sexual abuse in preschool settings, BEHIND THE PLAYGROUND WALLS is a clear, comprehensive examination of the effects of reported molestation on young children and their families. Based on data gathered from the children, parents, and therapists in a comparison study, the book covers the effects on children's behavior, fears, PTSD symptoms, sexuality, achievement, school performance, and self-concept. Moreover, the ways in which the children and their families coped with reports of abuse and the factors associated with positive short- and long-term outcome are detailed. Part I of the book outlines the scope of the problem. Cases from two communities - alleged ritualistic abuse in several preschools in Manhattan Beach, California, and nonritualistic abuse in a preschool day care setting in Reno, Nevada - are described and compared with a control group of nonabused children from southern California. The background literature is reviewed, as are the methods, procedures, and limitations of the study. Chapters in Part II offer perspectives on what happened to the children and the patterns of disclosure in therapy. Part III concentrates on the aftermath of such cases, with separate chapters on the children's overall levels of distress and cognitive, emotional, interpersonal, sexual, and school-related effects. The impact of sexual abuse on the children's parents, families, and therapists is discussed in Part IV. Factors that were associated with positive outcome for the children, both in the short term and at follow-up 5 years after initial disclosure, are then covered in Part V. Rounding out thevolume, Part VI presents community and research perspectives on the findings by well-known child abuse experts, and concludes with the authors' recommendations for treatment. Offering important new insights on a timely and critical topic, BEHIND THE PLAYGROUND WALLS is valuable reading