Child and Adolescent Advocacy Through Research: Introduction to Special Section

Abstract

In this special section, Clinical Child and Adolescent Advocacy Through Research, luminaries in advocacy for children tell important, personal stories of how research and values intertwine to influence the policies that affect children and families. In this introduction, we provide a brief historical overview of child advocacy in the United States, its link to American child psychology, and the roles of the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and the Division of Child, Youth, and Family Services of the American Psychological Association in educating and showing us how to use our science wisely in the service of children. We then preview the individual themes of the articles of this special section.