Peter Kennison has been a practitioner and an academic for over 35 years. He joined the Metropolitan Police in 1970 and, after a career spanning more than two decades, he served on five police divisions in north and east London, the Police Training School at Hendon and in the Complaints Investigation Branch (CIB3) at New Scotland Yard.His operational experience brought him into contact with children who were often victims, while others were offenders. As an insider, Peter is perfectly placed to consider the legal, institutional and social aspects of child protection. His further interests include policing and community safety. Peter is a Senior Lecturer and Criminology undergraduate Programme Leader.Professor Anthony Goodman has been a practitioner and an academic for over 30 years. His first post as a probation officer included responsibility for liaising with a hostel for unstable drug addicts. He developed a continuing interest in this client group and now runs a Masters applied criminology programme at Middlesex University and also teaches in social work.

This book provides a multi agency perspective on areas of safeguarding practice. It brings us up to date with current themes such as internet grooming and child abuse in the religious context. Case examples enhance the text.

• Constructing childhood and child abuseThe wrong kind of victim? Children, young people and street crimeParental use of alcohol and illicit drugs: A critical review of recent researchMaking sense of sex offender abuse and the internetChildren as victims of crimeChild abuse in the religious context-the abuse of trustLearning from mistakes –understanding police failure in child protectionTalking with children: constructing victim-hood or agency?Child protection from a diverse inner-city primary school perspectiveMinimising the risk to children and young people- the police responseStatutory social work processes involving children: prostitution and other areas of vulnerabilityConcluding themes