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

Just in Case... Parental Guidelines in Case Your Child is Testifying in Court

NCJ Number
113172
Date Published
Unknown
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This brochure provides guidelines for parents whose child is testifying in court.
Abstract
The trauma experienced by some child witnesses is discussed, and reforms designed to help children testify are described, including the use of dolls, provision of a support person during testimony, and alternative forms of testimony (e.g., closed-circuit television, videotaped depositions). Court processes and personnel are described, and the role of the guardian ad litem is discussed. Guidelines for preparing the child to testify and for dealing with legal professionals are listed. Services offered by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also are noted.