Exploiting Childhood: How Fast Food, Material Obsession and Porn Culture Are Creating New Forms of Child Abuse

Jim Wild is a writer, trainer and activist in the field of child protection and safeguarding work. He is founder of The Centre for Active and Ethical Learning (activelearningcpac.org.uk) which organises national events and delivers training on child protection for frontline workers. He was previously a social work lecturer at Nottingham Trent University for 7 years, and before that worked on the frontline in child protection for 15 years. Jim is also editor of two further books: Working with Men for Change (Routledge) and The Value-Base of Social Work and Social Care (Open University Press).

Provocative and hard-hitting, this book invites us to consider our responsibility for preventing all types of child abuse - whether it be eating an unhealthy diet and becoming obese, 'pornified' role models, or pressure to have the latest gadgets in order to be cool at school. Required reading for social work students and anyone concerned with the welfare of children.

1. Introduction. Jim Wild, The Centre for Active & Ethical Learning, UK. Section I: Commercial Exploitation. 2. Introducing Selfish Capitalism. Oliver James, Psychologist and Author, UK. 3. Arguments, Bullies and Feeling Poor: How Consumer Culture Affects Children's Relationships. Professor Agnes Nairn, EM-Lyon Business School, France. 4. Child Obesity and the Junk Food Marketeers. Tim Lobstein, Curtin University, Australia. 5. The Science of Violent Entertainment. Dr. Wayne Warburton, Macquarie University, Australia. 6. Changing Childhoods: Nature Deficit. James Hawes, counsellor and psychotherapist, UK. 7. The Myth of Choice for Children and Parents: Why We Deny the Harm Being Caused to Our Children. Professor Renata Salecl, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Section II: Sexual Exploitation. 8. The Commercialisation of Girls' Bodies. Susie Orbach, psychotherapist, psychoanalyst and writer, UK. 9. Grooming Our Girls: Hypersexualisation of the Culture as Child Sexual Abuse. Gail Dines, feminist anti-pornography activist, author and professor, Wheelock College, Massachusetts, USA. 9. The Internet: A Global Market for Child Sexual Abuse. Sharon Girling OBE, UK. 10. Sex, Sexuality and Child Sexual Abuse. Professor Liz Kelly CBE, London Metropolitan University, UK. 11. Children, Childhood and Sexualized Popular Culture. Dr Maddy Coy. Section III: Fighting Back Against Commercial and Sexual Exploitation. 12. Helping Children to Stand Up to Society - Critical Challenges and Culture Jamming. Professor Stephen D. Brookfield, University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, USA. 13. Still Waters in a Storm: The Power of Collective Learning. Stephen Haff, Still Waters in a Storm, New York, USA. 14: Riots, Rebellion and Finding New Utopias. Adam Barnard, Nottingham Trent University, UK. 15. Conclusion: A New Category of Child Abuse. Jim Wild.