home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Current Shareware 1994 January
/
SHAR194.ISO
/
textfile
/
child6.zip
/
CHILD6.ASC
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-08-29
|
3KB
|
50 lines
CHILD VICTIM
From the publication "When the Victim is a Child"...Reprinted with
Permission from the Criminal Justice Department, Washington D.C.
THE IMPACT OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTION ON CHILD VICTIMS
Some observers of the justice system assert that participation in
judicial proceedings can cause deleterious effects and psychological harm
to sexually abused children. Others, however, maintain that testifying can
serve as a catharsis for child victims and contribute to their recovery by
restoring a sense of power and control. There has been some research
addressing the fundamental question of whether the adjudication process is
in fact harmful to children.
In one study reported to date that administered psychological tests
directly to child victims whose cases were being adjudicated in juvenile
and/or criminal courts, Runyan et al. found that testifying in juvenile
court may actually be beneficial. (Too few children testified in criminal
court to allow meaningful analysis.) Children whose cases were still
pending criminal disposition however, did not improve on the psychological
measures, and the researchers hypothesized that the delays and continuances
that characterize criminal prosecution can cause additional stress for
child victims.
This hypothesis was challenged, however, by the findings of a
subsequent study by Goodman and her colleagues. Based on measures of
behavioral adjustment provided by non offending parents of sexually abused
children, Goodman et al. found that children tended to show greater
improvement with time. Further, parents of children who testified were
significantly more likely than parents of a matched control group of child
victims who did not testify to say their children had been adversely
affected by criminal prosecution; some specifically targeted the length of
the adjudication process as a source of stress. At the final follow-up 11
months after the children first testified, differences between the
"testifiers" and the controls had diminished, although a subset of children
still showed negative effects; some of these children had testified, other
had not.
Research in this vein continues. The Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), for example, has funded a large-scale study
to examine the effects of innovative techniques on the trauma experienced
by child victims.
For more in-depth information please write to:
SALT
1818 Hemlock Lane, Ste C
Elkhart, IN 46514