NCJ Number
117780
Editor(s)
E B Nicholson,
J Bulkley
Date Published
1988
Length
416 pages
Annotation
These 38 articles and excerpts from other publications are intended for use by family court personnel and other professionals involved in handling allegations of child sexual abuse that arise in custody or visitation cases.
Abstract
An overview examines the nature and extent of these cases and case management in the family court. Further articles consider the issue of false allegations of sexual abuse, the investigation and evaluation of child sexual abuse cases, the role of the child protective service agency, the use of routine medical examinations, and the role of mental health evaluators. Additional papers focus on the role of the family court, the status and limitations of court's receptivity to expert testimony, the role of testimony from children, and the relationship of child abuse to family law issues. Other papers present recommendations for the reform of the court handling of child sexual abuse cases and provide background readings on the dynamics of the problem, characteristics of offenders, effects on victims, prevention, intervention, and treatment. Tables, footnotes, reference lists, and children's drawings.