Judicial Leadership and Judicial Practice in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases

• NCJ Number: 194266
• Author(s): Shirley A. Dobbin; Sophia I. Gatowski; Krista R. Johns
• Date Published: July 1998
• Length: 45 pages
• Grant Number(s): 96-CT-NX-0001
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Corporate Author: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
• Sale Source: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Technical Assistance Bulletin, N 5, V 2, July 1998.

Annotation

This bulletin on judicial leadership and judicial practice in child abuse and neglect cases first discusses effective leaders and effective leadership in general, followed by a presentation of results from national research on judicial leadership and practice in child abuse and neglect cases.

Abstract

The bulletin describes effective leaders as having a clear vision of a common purpose; showing respect for people; fostering effective communication; developing their own leadership style; empowering people and aligning people behind them; knowing their own worth and having positive self-regard; viewing every misstep as a learning opportunity; refusing to accept failure; and striving to achieve balance while resisting the status quo. In addition to these general qualities of leadership, a judge must also be a "meaning maker," which involves providing the court and those who come before it with a sense of purpose that reflects the judge's vision for the court. The research reported in the second part of this bulletin involved telephone interviews with court-improvement specialists who were asked to identify the strengths of the overall system for processing child abuse and neglect cases in their State. Specialists from 17 States (34 percent) provided comments that related to the strength of the judiciary in their State. Effective judges were identified as being knowledgeable about issues that pertained to child abuse and neglect cases, as being committed to timely decision-making, and engaging in good judicial practice. Judicial leaders were viewed as actively involved decision-makers, who, by setting high standards of conduct for themselves and other system participants, created courtrooms that were focused on safe and timely permanency for children. By institutionalizing their vision within the system and by promoting their vision beyond the courthouse, judicial leaders provide meaning to the court and dependency practice that will continue to motivate improvement once the gavel has been passed. 4 tables, 4 charts, and appended details of the methodology of the national research