NCJ Number
118516
Editor(s)
O Trager
Date Published
1988
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This introductory overview and compendium of newspaper articles, columns, cartoons, and editorials published between 1984 and 1986 examine recent efforts to address the needs of crime victims, issues related to child abuse, and a judicial decision and a commission report related to sodomy and pornography.
Abstract
The overview notes that crime victims received little attention before the 1970's. Until recently, victims were only witnesses to the criminal justice system. However, victim services are growing, as shown by the efforts for rape victims. They now receive medical examinations, counseling, and other professional help. The needs of victims of child abuse are another major issue. Child abuse is probably the most underreported of all crimes, and a difficult issue for victims' parents is whether or not to involve the criminal justice system. The situation becomes more complicated if the child abuser is a member of the family. Newspaper articles on this subject focus on the need for preventive efforts and for public resources to address this problem. Other articles focus on recanted testimony regarding a rape case, the United States Supreme Court's decision to uphold a Georgia sodomy law, and the 1986 report of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography.