Many countries are struggling with issues involving the definition of child maltreatment, reporting requirements, processes for responding to reports, and services to abused children and their families. This book illustrates approaches to dealing with these problems by examining and comparing the designs of child abuse systems.

"The fact that this work meets its informational and investigative goals makes it a useful text for professionals , researchers, and decision makers dealing with child abuse reporting."--Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary on Mental Health "This book is a valuable overview of different assessments of and responses to the international problem of child abuse."--Interdisciplinary Report on At-Risk Children & Families "...[the book] contains a wealth of interesting information about public child welfare programs in the industrial nations. As such it makes a useful contribution to the development of comparative social policy research."--Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare "The fact that this work meets its informational and investigative goals makes it a useful text for professionals , researchers, and decision makers dealing with child abuse reporting."--Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary on Mental Health "This book is a valuable overview of different assessments of and responses to the international problem of child abuse."--Interdisciplinary Report on At-Risk Children & Families "...[the book] contains a wealth of interesting information about public child welfare programs in the industrial nations. As such it makes a useful contribution to the development of comparative social policy research."--Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare