Child Victims

Child abuse, incest, child molestation, Halloween sadism, child pornography: although clearly not new problems, they have attracted more attention than ever before. Threatened Children asks why. Joel Best analyzes the rhetorical tools used by child advocates when making claims aimed at raising public anxiety and examines the media's role in transmitting reformers' claims and the public's response to the frightening statistics, compelling examples, and expanding definitions it confronts. Drawing on a wide range of sources, from criminal justice records to news stories, from urban legends to public opinion surveys, Best reveals how the cultural construction of social problems evolves.

Child Victims explores the range and extent of crimes committed against children, and assesses their impact. The testimony of over two hundred children gives voice, for the first time, to their experiences, their views, and their needs. It examines how children attain the status of 'victims' in the criminal justice system. Drawing on their recent research findings, the authors examine each stage of the legal process that a child encounters, from the initial reporting of the offence, through police investigation, to the trial itself. They contrast the specialist response to victims of child sexual abuse with the experiences of children who are victims of other crimes, thrust into an adult system which takes little account of their needs. Child Victims concludes by examining the role of support services and agencies dealing with child victims, and makes a number of key recommendations for future policy.

Presents the findings of a project that was designed to assess current practices used in the handling of criminal court cases involving children as victims/witnesses. The project utilized case file reviews and interviews of participants in recently adjudicated cases to describe current approaches to children in the criminal justice system. The 3 states are: Alabama, Florida and South Carolina. Extensive bibliography. Tables.

Children are the group most likely to be victimized yet least likely to report the crimes against them. Because of their unique vulnerability, an elaborate set of protections tries to secure their safety at home, in school, and in the community, yet they often experience further trauma inside the very criminal justice system designed to punish those who harm them. Such a system can leave child victims without emotional healing and a sense of justice because it does not consider the full scope of their wishes, interests, and rights. This failure can be attributed to the system's tendency to view children as objects of protection instead of legitimate rights-holders.Here, using a nuanced, multi-dimensional theory of children's interrelated rights and needs vis a vis victimization, Tali Gal presents an innovative restorative justice model for repairing harms and rebuilding relationships in the wake of crimes against children. It validates empirically documented children's needs--such as telling their stories, asking questions, and a sense of autonomy and control over the proceedings--and holds their associated and often-overlooked rights--such as rehabilitation and their overarching best interests-paramount. The rich theoretical underpinnings of the book are vividly illustrated by examples of successful restorative justice programs involving children (including the highly controversial inclusion of child victims of sexual assault). In addition, a set of eight heuristics provides a convenient reference for restorative justice programs to ensure that they safeguard the full range of child victims' needs and rights at all times.With its unique human-rights perspective on the study of childhood victimization and an innovative, child-inclusive restorative justice model, this book promises to be a touchstone for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers concerned with children's well-being in the aftermath of crime and violence.

This book is a practical and thoughtful guide for the forensic interview of children, presenting a synthesis of the empirical and theoretical knowledge necessary to understand the account of child victims of abuse or witnesses of crime. It is a complex task to interview children who are suspected of being abused in order to gather their stories, requiring the mastery of many skills and knowledge. This book is a practical one in that constant links are made between the results of the research and their relevance for the interventions made when interviewing child victims of abuse or witnesses of crime and in understanding their accounts. This book also presents in a detailed and concrete way the revised version of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD-R) Protocol, a forensic structured interview guide empirically supported by numerous studies carried out in different countries. The step-by-step explanations are illustrated with a verbatim interview with a child, as well as other tools to help the interviewer to prepare and handle an efficient and supportive interview. Conducting Interviews with Child Victims of Abuse and Witnesses of Crime is essential reading for stakeholders in the justice, social and health systems as well as anyone likely to receive allegations from children such as educators or daycare staff. Although the NICHD-R Protocol is intended for forensic interviewers, the science behind its development and application is relevant to all professionals working with children.