Treatment of Rape and Child Victims as Witnesses of Crime (From Centre for Criminal Justice Studies Ninth Annual Report 1996-97, Appendix 4, P 1-12, 1998)

• NCJ Number: 176658
• Author(s): H Reeves
• Date Published: 1998
• Length: 12 pages
• Sale Source: Centre for Criminal Justice Studies
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

Children are vulnerable victims in the criminal justice system, especially with regard to sex crimes, because they frequently do not report crimes committed against them for a variety of reasons.

Abstract

Victim support research and practice demonstrate the lack of knowledge about victims, particularly about child victims. In schools, when crimes are committed and reported to teachers, these crimes are often dealt with quietly because school officials and teachers do not want to involve police and courts in an incident that could be handled by the school with no further escalation. Ethical problems are also associated with interviewing young children about their victimization, and some individuals believe the more a crime is discussed with a child victim the more it is reinforced. Case studies of sexually assaulted children are provided to indicate the range of victimization effects on children. The role of child witnesses in prosecuting sexual assault and other criminal cases and the effects of testifying on children are discussed.