Book excerpt: Completely updated, this widely acclaimed practical text/reference helps professionals fulfill their legal and ethical responsibility to report child abuse with a high level of confidence, effectiveness, and gratification. The book also serves as a textbook for students in medicine, nursing, social services, and law enforcement who are preparing for work with children. Written by experts from multiple disciplines, Recognition of Child Abuse for the Mandated Reporter incorporates proven approaches for distinguishing possible abuse from conditions that mimic abuse, conducting necessary interviews and examinations, documenting findings and preparing reports, making appropriate referrals, and joining with other caring professionals to prevent child maltreatment. The comprehensive reorganisation of the 3rd Edition facilitates access to content. New to the 3rd Edition are chapters on the role of child protective services, the risk for maltreatment on the Internet, community and home based services, prevention efforts at the local and national levels, play therapy, psychological and psychiatric responses to abuse, and resources available to professionals caring for abused children.