NCJ Number
100127
Date Published
1984
Length
257 pages
Annotation
In these panel discussions, victims, advocates, criminal justice personnel, and service deliverers consider issues in the prevention, detection, and prosecution of child molestation.
Abstract
The first panel's members examine victim and family reactions to child sexual assault, difficulties in prosecution and conviction, public attitudes toward sexual molestation, the criminal justice system response, areas for research, and the work of Society's League against Molestation. The second panel examines criminal justice system processing of the child victim, with a focus on the need for systemwide cooperation in prosecution and the special difficulties associated with child victim/witnesses. The third panel considers the victims' and children's rights movement in relation to child molestation, both nationwide and in Texas, Wisconsin, and Illinois. The use of videotaping of child victims also is discussed. The fourth panel discusses victim services, including victim identification and diagnosis, victim reactions, case management, and counseling. The role of the expert witness also is considered. The next panel discusses and describes public awareness and community education programs, particularly school-based programs. The final panel discusses legislative and law enforcement initiatives in sexual abuse prevention and issues in offender and victim treatment. Additional discussion of some of these issues is included.