As a supportive reference tool, this book is for advanced clinical students and professionals in a variety of disciplines whose work involves interdependent aspects of dealing with child maltreatment. In essence, a "mini-library" is made available for quick access to timeless core research vital to the assessment, management, treatment, and prosecution of current cases. Selected with the help of leaders in the field, these 25 influential contributions about child abuse are presented along with the editors' commentaries and brief descriptive statements from prominent national and international investigators. The introductory comments inform readers why the research was so important at the time of publication and what the implications of the work are for practice today. Students, researchers, advocates, mental health practitioners, and libraries will benefits from such a well thought-out compilation that facilitates the understanding of critical research of the past pertinent to current practice.