NCJ Number
126165
Date Published
1986
Length
101 pages
Annotation
The reflections of juvenile and family court judges focus on three problems related to child sexual abuse: whether to concentrate on punishing the abuser or breaking the cycle of abuse, how to protect the child from further sexual abuse and emotional damage, and how to reduce the trauma to the child inflicted by the judicial intervention.
Abstract
The facts and figures of the child abuse problem are presented with a discussion of the types of abusers and abuse and the impact of abuse on the child and the family. Terms related to the reporting and management of abuse reports are defined including professionals, immunity, liability, evidence of sexual abuse, receiving agency, investigate, preserving the evidence, credibility, and further proceedings. The section on intervention discusses the choices made between severe punishment and effective prevention, options for judicial intervention, and coordination of intervention efforts. Effective treatment must include the abuser as well as the victim and other family members. The crucial first stages of the abuse investigation include interviews with the child and the abuser and determining the credibility of the investigative report impact on the success of the entire judicial proceeding. The report discusses several elements of protecting the child including removal from the home, placement in a safe location, temporary protective orders, interim counseling, and child advocacy. Court procedures relevant to child abuse hearings including bail, plea bargaining, depositions, testimony, hearsay, and confidentiality. The investigation, judicial process, procedures, and court orders are intended to lead to the best possible disposition of the case, often combining punishment, treatment, and civil actions. 20 notes and 2 appendixes