All too often child victims of abuse either remain silent or are not listened to when they do decide to speak of their experiences, but The Truth is Longer Than a Lie gives abused children and young people a voice. This groundbreaking book reveals what young victims have to say about abuse and its effects on their lives; their views on the reasons for abuse; their opinions of abusers and non-offending parents; and how they felt about disclosing their experiences. Significantly, this book provides important insights into children's perceptions of the professionals who intervened - to protect them, to prosecute the abuser or to provide therapeutic counselling. The authors examine societal factors that increase children's vulnerability, and propose measures for preventing abuse. They outline the requirements of ethically sound research, including appropriate interviewing techniques, and conclude with recommendations for future research. The Truth is Longer Than a Lie is invaluable reading for social workers, child protection workers, counsellors, legal professionals and anyone working with abused children.Table of Contents: 1. The power of children's voices. 2. The silencing of children. 3.Child-centred practice: the foundation to effective research with children who have been abused. 4. The ethics of listening to children in research. 5. A chance to be heard: involving children who have been abused in research. 6. Children's voices: their views on abuse and the impact of abuse. 7. Children's voices: their views about making disclosures, about abusers and about non-offending parents. 8. Children's voices: Their experiences of professional intervention. 9. Children as hostages to abuse. 10. Children's vulnerability to abuse: a double-edged issue. 11. The complexity of listening professionally to children. 12. The way forward. References. Index.