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Child Psychiatry and Law - Child Victims of Sexual Assault Impact of Court Procedures

NCJ Number
89559
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry Volume: 21 Issue: 5 Dated: (1982) Pages: 513-518
Author(s)
E H Weiss; R F Berg
Date Published
1982
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The paper describes the emotional reaction patterns seen in child/adolescent victims of incest and nonincest sexual assault and details how court procedures may impair the resolution of these patterns.
Abstract
It presents an advocate role for the therapist in minimizing the possible trauma associated with legal proceedings. Recommendations include developing standards in the conduct of court procedures that consider the emotional effects on the child without compromising the legal process, assigning cases of child sexual assault or abuse to specially trained prosecutors, and having incest cases managed jointly by a criminal prosecutor and a child abuse prosecutor. Eleven references are provided. (Author abstract modified)