Children & Teenagers Testifying in Domestic Violence Cases

• NCJ Number: 222122
• Author(s): Alison Cunningham M.A.; Pamela Hurley M.Ed.
• Date Published: 2007
• Length: 26 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Canada Department of Justice
• Corporate Author: Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System
• Sale Source: Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Handbook
• Language: French; English
• Country: Canada
• Note: This is book 7 in a seven handbook series. See NCJ-222116-121 for other handbooks in the series.

Annotation

The focus of this handbook is on children who are potential witnesses in domestic violence cases, offering aid to frontline justice professionals who use special accommodations and testimonial aids for young witnesses in criminal proceedings.

Abstract

Police officers are trained to look for children when responding to domestic violence calls and to take statements from them where appropriate. In consequence, it is increasingly common to find children’s names on witness lists. Children can be called as witnesses in domestic violence cases and testify as complainants in some cases. Children testifying in domestic violence cases include: (1) those who witnessed interparental offenses, (2) those that witnessed interparental offenses but also were assaulted by a parent, and (3) teenaged victims of intimate partner assault. It is imperative that people working in the criminal court system understand the unique needs of children in domestic violence cases. This handbook focuses directly on those children who are potential witnesses in domestic violence cases. It discusses teenaged complainants in intimate violence cases, who are another type of “child witness.” For the children and teenagers, these cases present both the typical challenges for court witnesses as well as pressures unique to offenses occurring within the family context. The other six handbooks in this series on using special accommodations and testimonial aids to facilitate the testimony of children are entitled: Overview of Issues Related to Child Testimony, Testimony Outside the Courtroom, Witness Screens, Video-recorded Evidence, Designated Support Person, and Hearsay Evidence and Children. List of suggested reading