David Howe, Child Abuse and Neglect: Attachment, Development and Intervention.

David Howe, Child Abuse and Neglect: Attachment, Development and Intervention. New York, Palgrave, 2005. $ 94.00 hardcover.

In the field of child maltreatment, too often theory and practice exist in separate realms and are not considered together. It is therefore a pleasure to see David Howe's new book. This excellent work is a much-needed, eminently-readable discussion of developmental attachment theory, its interplay with issues of child maltreatment, and related practice implications. I would recommend this book to any person interested in developmental psychology theory and its application in child welfare practice.

Howe, a professor of social work at the University of East Anglia, UK, builds on his past work regarding emerging trends in attachment theory, child maltreatment, and family support. The present book is organized into five parts. Part one provides background on attachment theory and child development. The theory holds that "young minds" internalize relationships with caregivers to form a framework on which they regulate emotions, guide behavior, and negotiate social relationships. Children who experience sensitive and emotionally-available caregiving regard themselves as lovable, and form positive expectations of others. For abused children, the caregiver is a source of threat and pain rather than (or in addition to) comfort and protection. These children suffer all manner of emotional, cognitive and physical deficits. Parts two through four of the book consider basic types of maltreatment--abuse (physical and psychological), neglect, and abuse and neglect (including drugs, depression, domestic violence and sexual abuse)--and their adverse effects on development of a sense of self, others, and expectations for relationships. Each of these sections is punctuated by a compelling case study. Part five surveys the latest research findings regarding attachment-based supports and interventions--and discusses them in relation to parents and children of different developmental ages.

The book's organization is a strength that is also the source of a potential critique. That is, the separate sections lend the text a useful structure for study and future reference on a particular type of maltreatment and its sequelae. But as Howe himself observes, in practice, abuse types are complex, tend not to fall neatly into one category, and can change over time. By the same token, the survey of interventions is considered in the final section of the book. Some readers might wish for more integration of this information--perhaps as a separate sub-section--within each of the other parts of the book.

In sum, Howe's book is a notable achievement. The scholarly presentation and timely research reviewed make the book suitable for academics and graduate students. But those outside the university also stand to benefit from this important work. While the text is not a "how to" manual on working with abusive parents and children at-risk for maltreatment, practitioners interested in the evidence base for treatments and supports for this population would be well-served by reading this book. For clients whose "developmental relationships" have been traumatic and damaging, Howe's discussion of intervention through "therapeutic relationships" that achieve a "safe but structured" therapist-client connection with empathy, compassion and responsiveness should resonate with many who work in the demanding field of children and family services.

Daniel Webster, University of California, Berkeley