NCJ Number
120363
Date Published
1988
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Recently published judicial opinions from Federal and State courts concerning child abuse and neglect issues encompass social service, educational, and law enforcement sectors of the legal system.
Abstract
Traditional forums for deciding child protection cases have generally been State criminal and juvenile courts. Federal courts, however, have increasingly been called upon to decide such cases. In addition, as matters such as tort liability and custody and visitation issue in the divorce context continue to arise, State civil and domestic relations courts are being used with more frequency to decide these cases. The review of 1987 child abuse and neglect case law specifically covers Federal court jurisdiction, third party liability of investigators and reporters, child protective services, the role of physicians as reporters, the disclosure of reporter identity, and failure to report. The review also deals with the statute of limitation on tort liability of perpetrators, day care licensure, standards of evidence in juvenile courts, privileged communications, polygraph evidence, the use of anatomically correct dolls to facilitate therapy, videotape evidence, juvenile court disposition when the perpetrator is unknown, juvenile court jurisdiction, and child witness issues.