In the investigation of child abuse, consistent investigative protocol and clear, thorough documentation of facts and findings are essential to ensuring justice for victims, both for those who survive and for those who do not. In order to achieve the best possible results in such cases, multidisciplinary investigative teams of first responders, law enforcement, and medical practitioners should be well prepared for the process of investigation and documentation as they work in tandem toward a just end for every case of abuse. This new pocket atlas, part of an ongoing series on child abuse,...

Skin injuries are among the most common, and, certainly, the most visible, symptoms of physical abuse in children. In some cases, these injuries may leave lasting marks on the bodies of the abused⎯enduring tokens of the pain inflicted upon them. Because professionals working with children will, at times, encounter such injuries, it is vital they be able to recognize abusive burns, bruises, and other skin injuries in order to differentiate them from accidental injuries and to respond appropriately when encountered. This new pocket atlas, the first of an ongoing series on child...

Sexual abuse of children is an especially delicate matter, and each reported case should be treated with exacting care. Accurate identification and appropriate response to symptoms of sexual maltreatment in children is essential to resilient, long-term recovery for survivors. Therefore, it is incumbent upon those professionals who care for and represent the interests of survivors to recognize cases of childhood sexual abuse and to respond expediently, in the best interest of the survivors. This new pocket atlas, the second addition to an ongoing series on child abuse, will support medical...

Of the injuries inflicted on physically abused children, head injuries are, in many cases, among the most damaging and potentially lethal. First responders and medical practitioners encountering children with head injuries may need to take quick and decisive measures to ensure a child's safety and, in the case of child death investigation, will need to recognize a variety of head injuries in order to identify or to rule out abusive trauma. This third volume of a new and ongoing series on child abuse provides professionals in medicine and law enforcement with more than 600 full-color photos...

This new pocket atlas, part 5 of an ongoing series on child abuse, is designed specifically for professionals involved in the investigation of child death, both intentional and unintentional. Readers in law enforcement, medicine, and other readers professionally involved in child death investigation will find this convenient resource essential to their work in the field. Over 600 full-color crime scene photos, reenactments, and photos taken in postmortem examinations and corresponding case studies written by expert investigators illustrate a variety of abusive and accidental causes of...