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Children's Court Awareness Program

NCJ Number
153281
Author(s)
D Belin; D Doane
Date Published
1993
Length
67 pages
Annotation
A teaching manual presents guidelines for establishing a Kids' Court program, with the content based on King County's (Washington State) experience in planning and conducting Kids' Court sessions since 1989; a video portrays how the King County Kids' Court program teaches prospective child witnesses about how to deal with the experience of testifying in court.
Abstract
The program described in this manual emphasizes kids understanding the courtroom process and personnel, allowing children to express their feelings, and strengthening each child's ability to cope with the feelings of fear and anxiety. Parents are included in the Kids' Court program. Parents or guardians attend a concurrent educational session that addresses their special needs. Kids' Court consists of concurrent sessions for younger children (ages 4-7), older children (ages 8-12), and parents/guardians. Content for each session is outlined in this manual and includes objectives, activities, materials, and process and special notes to the instructor. The length of time of each section is noted. The curriculum presented covers the children's curriculum and parent/guardian curriculum. The video portrays various sessions of the Kids' Court in Kings County, including the statements to prospective child witnesses by a judge and prosecutor, as well as techniques taught for dealing with anxiety about the court experience.

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