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Book details

The politics of child abuse in America

by Lela B. Costin

Published 1996194 pagesISBN 978-0-1950-8930-1

Child abuse policy in the United States contains dangerous contradictions. A rapidly expanding child abuse industry, consisting of enterprising psychotherapists and attorneys, consumes enormous resources. At the same time, thousands of poor children are seriously injured or killed, many while being "protected" by public agencies. The growing interest in child abuse as a middle class problem has led to the frenzied pursuit of offenders, resulting in the sacrifice of innocent children and adults. The Politics of Child Abuse in America presents a compelling analysis of these problems, revealing the historical patterns that gave rise to them and presenting practical policy recommendations. It will be an invaluable resource for scholars, students, and professionals in social work, as well as for anyone concerned about the welfare of children in the United States.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.

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What the reading experience may hold

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Themes to notice

Nonfiction

Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.

Content notes

Catalog signals suggest abuse or trauma. These notes may not be complete; consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.

These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.

Reading experience

Warm tone · Steady pace

Works well for a focused weekend or a few concentrated sittings.

Who it may suit

A good fit if…

Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.

At a glance

This book's DNA

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ToneWarm
LuminousDark

This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.

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Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc

A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.

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PeakRelative emotional intensity
The politics of child abuse in AmericaLela B. Costin
Powerful5/5

This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.

Before you choose

A quick reading snapshot

Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.

Reading lengthA shorter read194 pages in this edition
Publication eraModernFirst published or edition dated 1996
Primary categoryNonfictionExplore similar books below
ISBN-13
978-0-1950-8930-1
Language
English
Edition record
OL1122240M
BookenDeX editorial lens

A more thoughtful way into this book

This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.

Good to know

Works well for a focused weekend or a few concentrated sittings.

Begin with its place in Nonfiction, then notice where the book resists that label.

Try this reading approach

Read for connection, not completion.

Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.

Three questions to carry with you

  1. Whose perspective organizes the story, and whose perspective remains outside it?
  2. Which sources or lived experiences carry the author’s central argument?
  3. How does the book change the way you understand its larger subject?

Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.