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developmental neuropsychiatric teams,
paediatric neurologists and neuropsy-
chologists, educational psychologists
and community paediatricians with
interest in neurodevelopment.
Marinos Kyriakopoulos
Great Ormond Street Hospital for
Children, London
Attachment Theory in ClinicalWork with Children: Bridgingthe Gap between Research andPracticeD. Oppenheim and D.F. Goldsmith(Eds.)New York: Guilford Press, 2007. pp.
256. £ 21.95 (pb). ISBN: 978-159385-
448-5.
This is a clinical book covering assess-
ments and interventions with mother-
infant (or young child) dyadic problems.
The chapters have an array of well-
known and well-established academics
and clinicians, among them Oppen-
heim, Zeanah, Steele, Hodges, Lieber-
man and Goldsmith. It is an important
book despite its limitations.
The first section is titled �Clinical Use
of Attachment Research Assessments�and the second �Attachment Theory and
Psychotherapy�. The first chapter
(C. Zeanah) acts as an introduction to
many of the ideas that follow, with a
case vignette detailing the interchange
between the clinician and a mother.
This book does not define its terms
and this lack of clarity led me to be
unconvinced that this is a book about
attachment rather than about carer-
child relationships and how to improve
their quality. The term attachment is
used loosely and often incorrectly.
There is the common mistake of using
the term attachment as though it is an
overall descriptor of the relationship
between the parent and child.
There are, however, some immensely
attractive ideas in this book e.g. the
Circle of Security Project. This has a
focus of the parent�s internal represen-
tation of the child directly in relation
to the child�s need for a secure base.
The therapeutic dyadic work promotes
offering appropriate security to young
children through encouraging sup-
ported exploration, supportive supervi-
sion, welcoming approaches by the
child and positive regard throughout.
There is a chapter on maternal insight-
fulness and how this can be assessed
and enhanced. There are ideas on
supporting foster carers and adoptive
parents and the central importance of
commitment. The therapeutic work
involves identifying attachment, facili-
tative behaviours in carers and increas-
ing their understanding and sensitivity
of their charges� inner worlds and
needs. The chapter on parental re-
sponses to a disturbing diagnosis in
their child lays out some initial research
on assessing families in such situations
and how the ability to suspend the
search for reasons and the degree of
resolution of the parents� reaction relate
to the child�s functioning. The chapter
�Child Parent Psychotherapy� addressesthe impact of trauma where there are
already attachment problems.
I recommend this book as a stimulat-
ing one and of interest to anyone
involved in facilitating good enough
parenting, working in the field of psy-
chotherapy, with under-5s or working
with foster carers and adopters. This is
a useful book provoking much thought,
resonating with one�s own knowledge
and experience and opening up ideas
about how theory can be transferred to
treatment approaches. Clinicians, not
to say politicians, urgently need effec-
tive early interventions for parent-child
relationship problems.
Claire Sturge
Northwick Park Hospital. Harrow
Double Jeopardy: AdolescentOffenders with Mental DisordersThomas GrissoChicago: University of Chicago Press,
2006. pp. 252. £15.00 (pb). ISBN-10:
022-630929-0.
InDouble jeopardy, Grisso continues his
pioneering work across clinical practice,
policy and legislative frameworks, and
examines the challenges facing young
offenders and professionals working
with them. This is a valuable addition
to a series of studies on adolescent
development and legal policy, supported
through the MacArthur Foundation
Research Network.
On this occasion, Grisso achieves a
unique integration and synthesis of
knowledge that goes to the heart of our
obligations to identify and respond to
adolescent offenders� mental disorders;
he examines the state of knowledge
about their mental disorders and con-
sequences for professionals throughout
the world who are still grappling with
how to meet the mental health needs of
offenders. He charts a rational course
for the juvenile justice system�sresponse to the mental health needs of
those who are in its custody. In doing
so, he goes beyond the polarised views
of young offenders as in need and
vulnerable, and the simultaneous view
of new young offenders as the main
cause of the ills of today�s society.
The book is divided into two main
parts: Part 1 – Examining Realities, and
Part 11, Discovering the Obligations. In
the first section, Grisso suggests that,
despite the best endeavours of many
mental health professionals working in
this field in the UK, other multi-agency
professionals, and indeed it feels gov-
ernment itself, he sees as the only
solution to reducing �difficult� behaviourin children and adolescents a magic
labelling of them as mentally disor-
dered, with a quick fix mental health
intervention as a solution. For this
reason alone, this text should be man-
datory reading for all professionals
working with children at risk of offend-
ing, or in the Youth Justice System. The
book gives a clear, logical, understand-
able insight into definitions of mental
disorders in adolescents, assessment of
disorders, and consequences of these
disorders.
In Part 11, in his emphasis on refining
the custodial obligation to provide treat-
ment for young offenders, Grisso is able
to set this in a developmental context
that sets apart the clear obligation to
deal with juveniles outside the �justdesserts� model of criminal justice that
dominates adult justice systems. At the
same time, he keeps the balance of
fulfilling the public safety obligation,
however young the individual. It is
inevitable that Part II centres on the
extant criminal justice system in North
America; however, the underlying argu-
ments, principles and solutions are also
applicable in the UK and across Europe.
Those of us working in the UK continue
to care a great deal and learn from the
continuing work of Thomas Grisso.
Double jeopardy is a �must read�across the range of professionals
charged with working with young
offenders, in whatever capacity.
Together we have to deal with the
three-fold obligations of the juvenile
justice system, as a custodian of chil-
dren with health needs, a legal system
providing fairness in youth adjudica-
tion, and as protectors of public safety.
Sue Bailey
Adolescent Forensic Service,
Manchester
156 Book News