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Since the growing awareness of child maltreatment in the 1960s, professional literature has amassed and attempted to give us a clearer understanding of the etiology of child maltreatment. Child maltreatment encompasses many variations in its causes, outcomes, and treatment. Families and children experiencing the different forms of maltreatment are not similar and need to be assessed and treated in a manner that will maximize their strengths and at the same time assure the safety and well-being of the child. This chapter overviews the theories that have been used to explain child maltreatment and presents a comprehensive theoretical approach, one that takes into account ecological risk factors, at varying systemic levels, and the transactions within each developmental stage of the child. The two major theoretical frameworks that are the foundation for understanding and treating child maltreatment are the ecological and the developmental perspectives.

This chapter explores the prevention of family violence by examining systemic issues, prevention ideology, the roles of various professional groups in prevention and education, and the role of technology. Systemic issues discussed include the fragmentation of intervention systems, the lack of strength-based models, conflict between professionals in the delivery of services, and the lack of evaluation of various policy and service models. The chapter explores how educators, policy makers, employers, and the mass media can specifically contribute to prevention and how technology is being applied in various ways to improve victims' protection and safety. It includes a discussion of how people can get involved to work toward solutions to the problem of violence in the home.

This chapter examines the use of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) in palliative care. It argues that AI is a helpful addition to the more usual problem based paradigm of action research. The chapter critically explores the principles of AI in relation to palliative care philosophy and practice. Through this the authors argue that AI approaches promote generative collaboration between practitioners, patients and carers enabling an appreciation of differing skills, capacities and relationships. The chapter gives practical examples of the different models of carrying out AI across care settings and the outcomes of using this approach. It argues that Appreciative Inquiry is useful in helping specialist palliative care move beyond the often privileged and powerful positioning of some as “experts” and others as “recipients of knowledge/care”, to a place where we are all co-learners and contributors.

This introduction chapter begins by describing the various chapters of the book and introduces the ideas of the solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) approach. It makes a case for why SFBT is well-suited for school social work and school counseling practices and how it can even be adapted to Special Education IEP goals. The chapter also describes the advantages of using SFBT in a school setting. A brief case example is provided to illustrate why SFBT can work in a school setting.

Getting to know students through their positive attributes, along with any obstacles to their success, can lead to academic, social, and behavioral growth. Defining twice exceptional (2e) as those whose high abilities are coupled with learning and/or behavioral challenges, this chapter illustrates 2e using the metaphor of green. This provides a fresh representation what being 2e means and also highlights why conventional educational plans may not be as effective as desired. To engage 2e students, the chapter introduces a practical, dynamic process––The Suite of Tools™—which allows educators to collect information about students’ strengths, talents, and interests and synthesize the information into a strength-based framework. Such information results in the development of personalized options to leverage strengths and interests for skill development, integrate strengths into the curriculum, and develop a personalized menu of talent development opportunities.

This chapter explores the programmatic components of a successful strength-based school serving twice exceptional (2e) students in grades 4 through 12. The chapter first provides a brief overview of the school’s background to shed light on the unique learning needs of 2e students and discusses the institutional foundations and beliefs that best support student growth. An overview of the school’s Multiple Perspectives Model shows how faculty members focus on several factors—including students’ gifts and talents, learning differences, and family contexts—to make decisions about learning strategies in a dynamic educational environment. The school stresses the importance of a culture of appreciation of students’ strengths while differentiating and dual differentiating their curricula to move students forward to appropriate levels of depth and complexity in their learning. Finally, the chapter underscores the need for flexible school policies that embrace creative problem-solving and put the needs of the student above external rules and regulations.