The Truth is Longer Than a Lie: Children's Experiences of Abuse and Professional Interventions - Softcover

This excellent book places the voices of child victims of abuse at the centre of an exploration of their experiences. That this should be seen to be a unique approach to the subject is bot sobering and exciting... The book will be of interest to social workers, child protection workers, academics, students and anyone working with abused children. From my perspective as a Lecturer in Social Work, I found the approach and subject matter resonated with the wider movement towards including and responding to the views of service users in both education and practice. -- Journal of Children's Services

All too often child victims of abuse either remain silent or are not listened to when they do decide to speak of their experiences, but The Truth is Longer Than a Lie gives abused children and young people a voice. This groundbreaking book reveals what young victims have to say about abuse and its effects on their lives; their views on the reasons for abuse; their opinions of abusers and non-offending parents; and how they felt about disclosing their experiences. Significantly, this book provides important insights into children's perceptions of the professionals who intervened - to protect them, to prosecute the abuser or to provide therapeutic counselling. The authors examine societal factors that increase children's vulnerability, and propose measures for preventing abuse. They outline the requirements of ethically sound research, including appropriate interviewing techniques, and conclude with recommendations for future research. The Truth is Longer Than a Lie is invaluable reading for social workers, child protection workers, counsellors, legal professionals and anyone working with abused children.