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Recommendations for Improving Legal Intervention in Intrafamily Child Sexual Abuse Cases

NCJ Number
108671
Author(s)
J Bulkley
Date Published
1982
Length
57 pages
Annotation
This booklet provides guidelines and recommendations for improving legal intervention to protect sexually abused children.
Abstract
An innovative and interdisciplinary approach, including coordinated court procedures, is recommended, as are the development of procedures to minimize trauma to the child victim. An advocate for the child should be provided, duplicate interviews should be avoided, and the same prosecutor should handle both civil and criminal actions. All professionals dealing with intrafamilial child sexual abuse should have specialized training regarding the the psychological, legal, and social issues of sexual abuse and the basic principles of child protection, development and interviewing. In addition, specific statutory definitions of child sexual abuse are needed. Statutory provisions are needed for civil protection orders, for delineating degrees of offenses, and to permit alternatives to traditional prosecution and sentencing. A number of evidentiary issues also need to be addressed, including corroboration, competency, marital privilege, use of expert testimony, evidence of prior sexual acts, and the viability of the sexually abused child syndrome. 133 notes and 79 references.