NCJ Number
148162
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1994) Pages: 367- 375
Date Published
1994
Length
9 pages
Annotation
The author describes three innovative intervention programs for first-time intrafamilial child sexual abuse perpetrators and their families.
Abstract
The programs entail providing incentives to offenders upon successful completion of treatment, as follows: Pretrial Diversion, reduction of incarceration time; Post- Plea Diversion, postponement of the felony hearing; and Pre- Legal Diversion, dropping of legal intervention. The efficacy of these diversion programs was studied in cases involving 384 victims (299 female) and their offenders in three counties, each county receiving a corresponding program (128 cases each). Each county/program had timely processing of cases. Counseling was the predominant type of service provided. One purpose of the diversion programs was to minimize secondary victimization of the child victims. Only the Pre-Legal program focused on this objective; none of the programs eliminated the need for the child victims to testify in court if the offender refused or did not successfully complete treatment. Medical examination of the victims and family services should have been routine, but were not. There is not yet any recidivism data on the offenders who have passed through these programs. However, the Pre-Legal program shows the most promise, because it provides the most protection to child victims. 1 table, 22 references