The Oxford Handbook of Children and the Law

Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of Children and the Law presents cutting-edge interdisciplinary scholarship on a broad range of topics covering the life course of humans from before birth to adulthood, by leading scholars in each area. Authors present and analyze the law and science pertaining to reproduction; prenatal life (including fetal exposure to toxic substances and abortion); parentage (including biology-based rights, background checks on birth parents, adoption, ART, and surrogacy); infant development; child maltreatment (including corporal punishment and religious defences to abuse and neglect); the child protection system and foster care; child custody disputes between parents; schooling (including financing, resegregation, religious expression in public schools, at-risk students, special education, regulating private schools, and homeschooling); delinquency; minimum-age laws; and child advocacy. It is an essential resource for scholars and professionals interested in the intersection of children and the law.