NIGEL PARTON is Professor in Child Care and Director of the Centre for Applied Childhood Studies at the University of Huddersfield. A qualified social worker, he is the author of many books, including The Politics of Child Abuse, Governing the Family and Child Protection(with David Thorpe and Corinne Wattam). He is also co-editor of the journal Children and Society. - PATRICK O'BYRNE was Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Huddersfield from 1979-1999, where he lectured extensively on a range of social work methods. He is co-author, with Judith Milner, of Assessment in Social Work. AE(00): Consultant Editor:Jo Campling