Health care professionals, including physicians, nurses, and clinical social workers, are required by law and professional codes of conduct to report suspected child abuse. These so called “mandated reporters” need current and practical information to recognize the signs and symptoms of child maltreatment. The fourth edition of Recognition of Child Abuse for the Mandated Reporter has been revised and updated to include contemporary best practices in the evaluation of child abuse and neglect.

The authors and editors of this vital text represent a diverse array of professional disciplines and research interests. Together, they have assembled a multidisciplinary work concerned with a variety of topics essential to the recognition and prevention of child abuse wherever it may occur. These topics include:

• Recognizing and reporting physical abuse, sexual abuse, and child neglect
• Medical child abuse, or Münchausen’s syndrome by proxy
• Risks to children in the digital age, including online predation and sexual exploitation
• Creative art therapy and its potential benefits to traumatized children
• Recognizing and reporting child abuse in the school setting

Recognition of Child Abuse for the Mandated Reporter is a definitive reference for front line professionals seeking to comply with mandated reporting guidelines. In addition, this publication serves as a textbook for students studying medicine, nursing, social work, and law enforcement and who plan to work with children and families in their professional practice. Written by experts on the front lines of child protection, Recognition of Child Abuse for the Mandated Reporter details the most effective methods for interviews, examinations, documentation, and appropriate referrals in cases of child maltreatment.