Rickel and Allen demonstrate that prevention work must draw from many areas of research and that sensitivity is essential to a variety of issues related to child, parent, and family dysfunction and social policy. The book begins with an historical overview of prevention research, essential concepts and research practices for identifying populations at risk, and other types of intervention programmes. Prevention programmes are reviewed in relation to several specific types of dysfunction evident in infancy, childhood and adolescence. Key topics of contemporary clinical work covered include: emotional problems associated with child abuse, divorce and marital separation, chronic mental disease, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, suicide and eating disorders.