Front Cover -- Child sexual abuse in Victorian England -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- List of figures -- Acknowledgements -- 1. Introduction: 'the children of the poor' -- 2. Family, neighbourhood and police -- 3. The child savers -- 4. Signs on the body: the medical profession -- 5. 'Witnesses of truth?' Children in the courtroom -- 6. Masculinity, 'respectability' and the child abuser -- 7. Specialist homes for 'fallen' girls -- 8. Conclusion: from 'corruption' to 'neurosis'? -- Notes -- Further Reading -- Name Index -- Subject index.

Child Sexual Abuse in Victorian England is the first detailed investigation of the way that child abuse was discovered, debated, diagnosed and dealt with in the Victorian and Edwardian periods. The focus is placed on the child and his or her experience of court procedure and welfare practice, thereby providing a unique and important evaluation of the treatment of children in the courtroom. Through a series of case studies, including analyses of the criminal courts, the author examines the impact of legislation at grass roots level, and demonstrates why this was a formative period in the legal definition of sexual abuse. Providing a much-needed insight into Victorian attitudes, including that of Christian morality, this book makes a distinctive contribution to the history of crime, social welfare and the family. It also offers a valuable critique of current work on the history of children's homes and institutions, arguing that the inter-personal relationships of children and carers is a crucial area of study.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2018. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.