An overview of principles of child development that are relevant to child witnesses emphasizes current research findings related to memory development and the credibility of child witnesses. Additional sections explain techniques for interviewing the child witness, the preparation of a child to testify, the psychological impact of the court process, and issues related to competency of the child witness. Further sections explain the constitutional rights of defendants in child abuse prosecutions, the admissibility of the child's statements made out of court, and the admissibility of expert testimony. A concluding analysis of technological reforms focuses on constitutional and practical concerns related to the use of closed-circuit television and videotaped testimony. Footnotes.