Scope

This Research Guide is an introduction to sources of information about child abuse. Child abuse can be physical or emotional harm caused to children by their parents or guardians.

Overview

Childhood Sexual Abuse: a Reference Handbook
College Library Reference Collection: HV 6570 K55 1995

Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics
College Library Reference Collection: BJ 63 A66 1998
Refer to Volume 1, pages 437-450 for "Child Abuse"

Encyclopedia of Psychology
College Library Reference Collection: BF 31 E52 2000
Refer to Volume 2, pages 61-65 for "Child Abuse and Neglect"

Encyclopedia of Sociology
College Library Reference Collection: HM 425 E5 2000
Refer to Volume 1, pages 288-297 for "Childhood Sexual Abuse" and
Volume 2, pages 981-987 for "Family Violence"

International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family
College Library Reference Collection: HQ 9 E52 2003
Refer to Volume 1, pages 215-230 for "Child Abuse"

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 1992 (updated daily)
Britannica Online is a searchable collection of authoritative references, including Britannica's latest encyclopedia articles. Basic instructions for Encyclopædia Britannica Online

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center 1990 - to date (updated daily)
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC) includes the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources and provides viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Finding Journal and News Articles

Below are links to databases that cover this subject area. The truncation symbol for all of them is an asterisk (*) unless otherwise noted.

Sample searches for databases:

child abuse and trials
child abuse and neglect
child sexual abuse
incest
abused children
child* and molest*
battered child syndrome

Recommended Databases:

Academic Search 1984 - to date (updated daily)
This library database indexes approximately 3,100 popular magazines and academic journals and provides the full-text articles from approximately 1,000 journals. Basic instructions for Academic Search

Ethnic NewsWatch 1960 - to date (updated monthly)
A full-text collection of more than 200 newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press. Basic instructions for Ethnic Newswatch

GenderWatch 1980 - to date (updated quarterly)
A women's and gender issues database with full-text coverage of most journals. Basic instructions for GenderWatch

Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe Dates Vary (updated daily)
Contains the full-text articles from U.S. and international newspapers (including the New York Times, June 1980 - to date), as well as some news and business magazines and trade journals. The truncation symbol is an exclamation point (!). Basic instructions for Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe

ProQuest Research Library 1988 - to date (updated daily)
Indexes over 2,000 general-interest and academic journals. Nearly 1,000 periodicals are full-text. Dates vary, but many full-text journals go back to 1988. Basic instructions for ProQuest Research Library

PsycINFO 1872 - to date (updated weekly)
Indexes 1,300 scholarly journals along with books and book chapters in psychology, educational psychology, and behavioral sciences. Basic instructions for PsycINFO

Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) 1972 - to date (updated quarterly)
Indexes journal articles, books, government documents, statistical compilations, committee reports, directories, serials, reports of public, intergovernmental and private organizations, and most other forms of printed literature from all over the world. The full-text of the articles is not available in the database. Basic instructions for PAIS

Readers' Guide Full Text and Retrospective 1890 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 240 popular magazines in a wide range of subject areas. Full-text coverage of 131 titles begins with 1994. Basic instructions for Readers' Guide Full Text

Social Sciences Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 415 scholarly journals in economics, politics, public administration, public health, sociology, criminology, environmental and urban studies, psychology and anthropology. Basic instructions for Social Sciences Full Text

Finding Books

MadCat
Books on child abuse can be found in MadCat, the UW-Madison library catalog.

Sample keyword searches:

"child abuse" and famil? AND violen?
"child abuse" and statistics
"child welfare"
"child sexual abuse"
http and "child abuse" (to find electronic resources)

Internet Sites

The Boston Globe Spotlight Investigation: Abuse in the Catholic Church
http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/
"An ongoing examination of the sexual abuse of children by priests, and its affect on the Catholic Church, its officials, and its members."

The Children's Bureau
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb
The Children's Bureau, part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, is the oldest federal agency for children.

Child Welfare Information Gateway
http://www.childwelfare.gov/
This Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families.

MedlinePlus: Child Abuse
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childabuse.html
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, Medline provides authoritative information on treatments, prevention, research, organizations, law and policy, and statistics related to child abuse.

Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse
http://www.mincava.umn.edu/ca.asp
Articles, fact sheets and Web links on child abuse from the University of Minnesota.

Child Abuse Prevention Network
http://child-abuse.com
This site is for professionals in the field of child abuse and neglect.

Organizations

Child Welfare League of America
http://cwla.org
The Child Welfare League of America is the oldest and largest national nonprofit organization promoting the protection of America's children.

International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
http://www.ispcan.org
Professional organization with headquarters in Chicago.

Prevent Child Abuse
http://preventchildabuse.org
A National organization devoted to the prevention of abuse and neglect of America's children.

Virtual Global Taskforce
http://www.virtualglobaltaskforce.com/
The Virtual Global Taskforce is made up of police forces from around the world working together to fight online child abuse.