NCJ Number
134168
Date Published
1989
Length
59 pages
Annotation
The Connecticut Governor's Task Force on Justice for Abused Children sought to develop meaningful solutions to the complex problems which currently exist in the State's child abuse response systems. The recommendations made were based on four major principles: that children have the right to equal protection under the law and equal access to exercise these rights; that children have a right to grow and develop free of physical harm and injury; that children have a right to be heard and understood; and that children who have been abused have a right to services to protect them from future harm and to help them recover from past trauma.
Abstract
The Task Force recommended that the status and public perception of family relations and juvenile matters be enhanced. The major components of the State system responsible for child protective services should be given additional staff and financial resources to develop a comprehensive child protection system. A monitoring committee composed of representative social agencies should assess progress made in implementing this Task Force's recommendations and should foster a continuing dialogue among system components involved in investigating, prosecuting, and treating child abuse. Judiciary and other agency staff should be required to undertake regular training programs in the treatment of abused children; these programs should be supplemented with special public awareness campaigns. Services for child and adolescent victims of abuse should be expanded as should specialized treatment services for juvenile child abuse offenders and juvenile sex offenders. 1 appendix