UBC Press The Truth is Longer Than a Lie book Paperback 192 pages

All too often child victims of abuse either remain silent or are not listened to when they do decide to speak of their experiences, but The Truth is Longer Than a Lie gives abused children and young people a voice.This groundbreaking book reveals what young victims have to say about abuse and its effects on their lives; their views on the reasons for abuse; their opinions of abusers and non-offending parents; and how they felt about disclosing their experiences. Significantly, this book provides important insights into children's perceptions of the professionals who intervened - to protect them, to prosecute the abuser or to provide therapeutic counselling. The authors examine societal factors that increase children's vulnerability, and propose measures for preventing abuse. They outline the requirements of ethically sound research, including appropriate interviewing techniques, and conclude with recommendations for future research.The Truth is Longer Than a Lie is invaluable reading for social workers, child protection workers, counsellors, legal professionals and anyone working with abused children.

Neerosh Mudaly has a doctorate in social work and 28 years' clinical practice experience, including 12 years in child protection and 16 as a child and family therapist. She is an expert in the field of child abuse, with experience spanning clinical supervision, training and consultancy and legal advocacy as an expert court witness. She has a strong child-centred approach to practice and training and has previously authored several journal articles on child abuse. Chris Goddard is a professor of child care social work who has previously published in the field of child protection. Together with Dr. Janet Stanley he authored In the Firing Line, and he contributed a chapter to Children Taken Seriously, eds. Jan Mason and Toby Fattore, also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. He is Director of the National Research Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.