U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Legal Proceedings, Reforms, and Emerging Issues in Child Sexual Abuse Cases

NCJ Number
122670
Journal
Behavioral Sciences and the Law Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1988) Pages: 153-180
Author(s)
J Bulkley
Date Published
1988
Length
27 pages
Annotation
Criminal and civil proceedings are outlined for cases of intrafamilial child abuse.
Abstract
A neglected or abused child incurs two primary forms of State legal intervention: either criminal prosecution against the offender is launched or child protection intervention and a civil action is started in juvenile or family court. Statutory reforms and court decisions in the area of sex abuse are reviewed, citing their potential beneficial and harmful effects on both offenders and victims. Finally, the roles of children and mental health experts in court proceedings are discussed. This article provides an overview of the legal issues including the issue of false reports of child sexual abuse, particularly in custody cases, and the debate about methods of interviewing abused children. 126 notes. (Author abstract modified)

Downloads

No download available

Availability