The analysis showed that child victims of alleged sexual abuse can be adversely affected by legal procedures. Thus, efforts are needed to reduce these impacts. In addition, children may also be harmed by the inadequacy of current knowledge about the way in which children function as witnesses and about the incidence and dynamics of sexual abuse. Therefore, the child specialist can assist in gathering the best available information for the court and can contribute to the effective presentation and understanding of this information. Issues that require attention include the areas of expertise on which the information to the courts is based, the qualifications of the child specialists, and roles that the child specialists can handle, and the scope of reforms needed. 47 references and appended case studies of the use of expert witnesses in the United States, a discussion of signs and dynamics of abuse, and a review of proposed reforms in Tasmania.